


Bad Dog II

by DaniJayNel



Series: Bad Dog [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: AU, F/F, Lycans, Sequel, cynans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-02
Updated: 2015-05-10
Packaged: 2018-02-15 22:31:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 145,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2245761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniJayNel/pseuds/DaniJayNel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trouble brews in the horizon, and Ymir might need to rise up to the challenge if she is ever to protect Krista. Sequel to Bad Dog. AU. I highly suggest you read the first story before this if you haven't. Dude, trust me.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! It’s been a long time, but the sequel is finally here. I was originally going to only post it when it’s finished, but… I’m basically gonna take years to do that. Therefore I am posting it now in order to ensure that I actually write the story. Receiving reviews and knowing that people are waiting for the next chapter will motivate me to continue with the story. So please, if I don’t update in a while pester me about it. That usually helps.
> 
> So, Bad Dog II will delve a lot deeper into the supernatural aspect that Bad Dog sorely missed. We will discover lots about the inner workings of the cynans and possibly even the lycans. I really hope you guys enjoy this one too, because it’s going to be a blast to write.
> 
> Unfortunately updates will be irregular, and I apologise in advance. But it’s here now, and I’m totally ready to start this new journey with all of you.

Steam lifted from Ymir’s brow as the wound on her skin closed quickly. With the little drops of blood, sweat trickled down her skin as well. Her chest heaved hard and her eyes darted around her, all senses on high alert. Behind her there was a sudden thud and when Ymir turned sharply she was attacked from behind.

Sharp claws sliced into her bared back, not too deep but enough to pierce skin and shed blood. The brunette hissed loudly and swung around to claw back, but the space behind her was empty. Other sounds distracted her and each time she turned those claws shot out and scratched her. At least they healed as quickly as they appeared, and disappeared with a torrent of steam, but that didn’t lessen the amount of pain. Ymir wasn’t weak, she could definitely handle pain, but it wasn’t at all pleasant.

A shake of the tree to Ymir’s left alerted her that her attacker would jump from above, and for once Ymir managed to look up in time and dodge the teeth and claws aimed at her shoulder. When her attacker landed on the ground on all fours, teeth bared and lips curled back in a nasty snarl, Ymir felt the hairs at the back of her neck rise. Her skin tightened and itched and she resisted the urge to shift. Her teeth and claws were out, however, and now Ymir’s eyes were glowing in anger.

The attacker bounded forward again and Ymir immediately stepped to the side, successfully evading another slash. With each new dodge Ymir gained in confidence and within a minute she was dodging attacks with ease, either stepping, sliding or jumping out of the way. Though not each attack was evaded and Ymir still suffered a wound here and there.

By now sweat was pouring down Ymir’s body. She was nude, from head to toe. In situations like these clothes was only a hindrance, so it was best to simply undress and fight from there. Unlike other times Ymir wasn’t as exhausted as she would have been. But now her body was starting to ache, especially since she had resisted the natural urge to change.

When her attacker jumped forward again, ready to bite, Ymir reached out instead of dodging. She grabbed her attacker by the scruff of the neck and then threw with all of her might, sending her assailant flying over her shoulder and into a tree. The blow was so powerful that the tree cracked halfway through the centre.

Ymir smirked in satisfaction but that was quickly wiped off of her face when hands grabbed a hold of her neck and her feet were swept out from underneath her. The world spun and then Ymir fell onto her back with a painful thud, the air whooshing out of her lungs.

“Fuck,” Ymir cursed harshly and struggled against the hands clenched around her neck and glared up into the glowing blue eyes on top of her.

“That hurt,” Nanaba said evenly. Her hands quickly disappeared from Ymir’s throat but she still sat on top of her and stretched her long arms above her head to pin point where she’d been hurt the most.

Ymir rubbed at her neck and grunted. “Sorry.” 

Nanaba paused in stretching and glanced back down at Ymir under her. “Ymir, we are training your reflexes and ability to evade attacks. You are supposed to focus on moving out of the way, not attacking.” She flinched when she felt the ache in her shoulder. It had been dislocated when Ymir had thrown her into the tree, but luckily it was already back into place and on its way to healing.

“How the hell am I supposed to be okay with you having the advantage? If I can attack then I can at least stand a chance.” Ymir sighed unhappily and splayed her arms out to her sides. “Besides, your teeth and claws are sharp and it fucking hurts.”

Nanaba sighed deeply. “We’ve been at this for weeks now. When it comes to offense you’re at my level, but you can’t go onto the defence to save your life.”

“Yeah, well–”

“No, seriously,” Nanaba said, interrupting Ymir. She stood and helped the brunette to her feet. “I need you to get this, Ymir. We are so close to getting you ready.”

Ymir squinted. “Ready for what?”

“Ready to be a full grown cynan, Ymir.” Nanaba sighed in exasperation and wiped the sweat from her brow. “Come on, one more time.”

Ymir groaned. “Do we seriously have to? I’m insanely tired.”

“Yes we seriously have to,” Nanaba replied, already preparing herself to shift. She spared Ymir one more glance and then her eyes began to glow and her entire body phased out with a cloud of steam, and when she emerged she was standing on all fours, tail swinging back and forth.

_Let’s cover the basics again, yeah?_

Ymir tiredly wiped at her face but nodded.

Nanaba approached Ymir and paused right in front of her. In her cynan form she was huge. Her cynan body was almost similar in size to a horse, but slightly smaller, towering over Ymir. Her eyes were an unnatural but beautiful glowing blue, and when she opened her mouth Ymir caught sight of her sharp canines. Short, blonde fur covered the entire length of Nanaba’s large body. Her shoulders were broad and her head held high, the pride in her stance, at her heritage, obvious. She even struck awe in Ymir, and the brunette couldn’t help it since she still felt like a pup even though she was in her twenties. Nanaba had been doing the cynan thing for most of her life, Ymir hadn’t. The blonde was fluid and dangerous with her movements, Ymir still had a lot to learn.

_We have sharp teeth and claws. A cynan, or even a lycan, will first start off with a swing of the paw. When they go for the throat with their teeth then you know they are aiming for the kill. If your enemy swipes at you from any direction, keep yourself sensitive to the shift in the air in order to feel which direction the blow will come from._

Nanaba lifted her arm and swung it down at Ymir but paused just before her sharp claws sliced through the skin on her chest.

_We aim for the heart. Use your forearms to block the claws, and then either distance yourself or go in for a bite to the jugular or a punch to the sternum. The latter will give you a few seconds while the cynan or lycan recovers._

Ymir nodded, knowing this well enough but keeping her full attention on Nanaba’s voice inside of her head. She followed the blonde cynan’s actions when she swung her arm again, knowing that she wouldn’t pause to spare words this time. As Nanaba had instructed Ymir threw her arm out and knocked the paw away, and while Nanaba began to swing again, Ymir used the palm of her hand, her fingers curled slightly, to slam against Nanaba’s furry chest. The strength of the blow sent Nanaba flying back a few feet before she stopped her momentum and caught her balance.

_Jesus, I never get used to your strength._

Ymir didn’t spare time to grin. Instead she beckoned Nanaba forward. “Let’s continue.”

Nanaba’s ears perked in surprise. _As you wish._ The blonde melted away into the trees and Ymir took that as her cue to return to her earlier spot.

Almost immediately Ymir closed her eyes and focused her senses. With a deep, calming inhale of fresh air, Ymir felt the surroundings flood into her senses. She heard each rustle of the trees, felt each brush of air on her skin. When the wind shifted the tiniest, and air brushed against her back she instinctively knew that Nanaba would come from that direction.

Ymir tensed her body, biting her tongue hard to distract herself from turning unconsciously due to the threat, and then she swung around and knocked Nanaba’s paw away just as it swiped at her. As Nanaba landed in a crouch Ymir jumped to the side and then she rose back onto her feet and jumped into the air to dodge the blonde lunging for her.

Nanaba growled deeply, as threateningly as she could, and disappeared amongst the trees again. She stayed hidden for a longer period this time, and when she eventually did emerge it was done slowly, with calculated, quiet steps taken towards Ymir.

The brunette’s body trembled, but she kept herself in check and made sure to watch each and every movement that Nanaba made. It was frustrating not being able to simply turn. But that wasn’t the mission for the day. Ymir’s focus had completely changed, and she now wanted to get this right and move on.

Nanaba could sense the change from her. Earlier Ymir had been irritable and stubborn. Now she looked fierce and determined. Her fingers twitched ever so slightly, and the sight made Nanaba’s thin lips curl back over her teeth in an awkward smile that looked more frightening considering her current body, than anything.

This time the attack didn’t happen in an instant. Nanaba took her time to lazily circle around Ymir, as if her fellow cynan was her intended prey and next meal. The blonde’s eyes were narrowed and just as fierce as the brown ones scrutinizing her, and her nails dug deeply into the soil with each heavy step she took. Softly at first, a deep growl emanated from her chest and rattled through Ymir’s very core.

An instinct to defend herself consumed Ymir, and when she saw the twitch in Nanaba’s right shoulder she knew how she would attack, so when Nanaba launched at her with such speed that she was almost a blur, Ymir was fast enough to drop to her knees and bend backwards just as the blonde cynan sailed over her.

Nanaba seemed genuinely surprised. Her mistake was glancing down at Ymir below her, because she then lost her rhythm and ended up crashing into the closest tree.

Ymir watched her do it, and at last she could not hold it in anymore and she transformed in a below of steam, laughing in a spurt of amusement as she did it. Her human laugh turned into a growling chuckle and by the time her two feet had turned to four Ymir was on her back, convulsing and scratching her paws over her face in her amusement. Her long, brown-furred body curled with her and each time she laughed her shoulders spasmed.

Nanaba stood and sneezed loudly to rid the blood from her sinus. The bleeding quickly stopped and her jaw hurt, but she had no other injuries except for the ones to her pride. She immediately bounded over to Ymir and closed her teeth around one of Ymir’s ears.

 _Ouch, shit, shit shit let me go!_ Ymir cried out internally.

Nanaba released a gruff growl in amusement and released the ear to sit down right on top of Ymir.

 _That was mean,_ Nanaba thought.

_It was funny! Please get off of me, you’re heavy._

Ymir was significantly smaller than Nanaba. Her little confidence in her ability was to blame for it, and she was partly intimidated by Nanaba. The first time she had seen the blonde in her true form had been both frightening and sobering. Ymir had, however, doubled in size since she had been the “dog” Krista had found on the road.

Nanaba sighed through her nose and reluctantly got onto her paws. She scratched at the ground once in warning and then turned her head up towards the sky. She took a tentative sniff, eyes closed.

_We should head back, it’s almost midnight._

Ymir shook her fur to get the leaves and dirt off of it and then she trotted up beside Nanaba and rubbed her head against the blonde’s shoulder – an instinctive show of apology. Nanaba took it with a short nod.

_Yeah, shit Krista is probably pissed that I’m late again._

Nanaba sighed as they started to run. _I’m sorry Ymir._

Ymir rolled her eyes and sped up faster, overtaking Nanaba and running ahead of her as if she was the alpha.

They had been training in a private area just outside of town. There were many large and lush trees, with a small pond somewhere nearby as a source of water and small animals for food. Of course, Ymir and Nanaba never became hungry enough to hunt. That was still one of the lessons left for the brunette. As civilized as she wanted to be, Ymir was still a cynan. She would need the skills to hunt and kill if she was ever to survive as one of her kind.

_So did I pass, teach’?_

_You did. That last move surprised me. I think we’ll go over the other defence moves tomorrow, and then we’ll move on to other things._

_What other things could there be? I thought you said that I’m almost ready?_

Nanaba paused beside the road they had been following to turn and regard Ymir seriously. Ymir paused too and her ears folded back in worry that she had made Nanaba angry.

_You’ve been training for a year. There is still much to teach you._

Ymir released a long string of relieved air and then she padded by Nanaba and lightly bumped her with her hip. _Yeah, yeah._ She threw a glance over her shoulder and then she started running again.

Nanaba rose to the challenge, running up beside her. For most of the distance she controlled her pace to stay close to the younger cynan, but when they reached the city and the many bright lights disturbed the natural dark, Nanaba tensed her strong muscles and ran as fast as she could, shooting right by Ymir and crossing the street in a blur.

Ymir yelped in absolute surprise, and then she lowered her head and straightened her ears, growling in displeasure. She imagined herself growing even stronger, and her body reacted. Just like Nanaba, Ymir ran at full speed and within seconds they both jumped over the fence to Krista’s home and crashed into a pile against the back porch.

“What the hell was that?” Ymir asked after shifting back into her human form. They had to change the instant they had landed, in case the neighbours saw anything. Though they were both naked now, and it was late, and Nanaba had landed right on top of Ymir and she was now sitting on top of her, so they probably looked even stranger than two giant dogs would have.

“Do you seriously think I’ve been racing you at full speed this whole time?”

Ymir’s eyes narrowed. “I kept up with you, asshole.”

“Just barely. That wasn’t even my full, full speed.”

Ymir laughed. “Bullshit. One day we will have an official race and I’ll make you eat my dust.”

Nanaba’s eyebrow lifted high. She crossed her arms over chest, covering her exposed breasts, and chuckled lightly. “You really act like a pup.”

Ymir bristled at the comment, as she always did, and mimicked Nanaba by folding her arms over her chest too. “So fucking what. You act like-“

“Ymir?” Their argument was interrupted when Krista’s voice echoed from the house and then the blonde stepped outside a few moments later. She immediately sputtered and covered her eyes with her hands when she saw a naked Nanaba straddling a naked Ymir. Not to mention they were both glistening in sweat and covered in blood and dirt. “Uh… y-you both are naked.”

Ymir was about to reply that she was pointing out the obvious, but Nanaba suddenly stood and spoke before she could.

“I’m sorry, Krista. I seem to keep Ymir away longer than I should.”  Nanaba went over to their pile of clothes that they had left in Krista’s backyard earlier that day and then she quickly dressed herself. When she was covered she went over and handed Ymir’s clothes to her.

“So how did training go?” Krista had uncovered her eyes and yawned loudly. She looked like she had just been asleep, and Ymir could smell the faint scent of their bed on her. She knew then that her love had been asleep, and she felt bad for waking her up like this.

“Mm,” Nanaba finished taking a long sip of water from her bottle that had been left with the clothes and then gestured towards Ymir with a nod. “She struggled a lot today.”

“Really? Ymir, are you giving Nanaba a hard time?”

Ymir laughed humourlessly and snatched the bottle out of Nanaba’s hand to get rid of her own dry throat and thirstiness. “Yes I am. But I’m improving”

Both blondes blinked that Ymir admitted it, and then they sighed. Krista did smile though, finding her lover’s stubbornness cute on top of being annoying. “Is it still the defence thing?” Krista asked.

Nanaba nodded. “She isn’t fast enough to dodge my attacks and she always ends up breaking one of my bones when she gives up and attacks me back. Though she did get what I was trying to say at the end of it. She surprised me, actually.”

Ymir gave the bottle back to Nanaba and then leaned down to peck Krista on the lips. “How was your day though? I’m sorry that we woke you like assholes.”

“Oh, it was okay. I did some shopping with Sasha, and you don’t need to apologise for waking me. I was waiting for you anyway.”

Ymir knew instantly that Krista had fallen asleep in her pursuit to wait for Ymir, but she decided not to mention it since the little blonde was exhausted. “Let me guess, she nearly bought all of the food again?”

Krista giggled.

Nanaba asked, “Is Sasha really that obsessed with food?”

Ymir and Krista shared a look before they nodded in sync, Krista’s nod being the more serious one, though it was a lot lazier due to how tired she was. “She’s a chef at a restaurant in town, but she’s been in love with food since I can remember.”

Nanaba nodded. “She sounds amusing.”

This time Ymir laughed. “She’s an idiot.”

Even though Ymir and Krista had been visiting Nanaba for well over a year and a half now, that being the amount of time it had been since meeting her, the tall blonde hadn’t met any of Krista’s friends. At first it was because Nanaba was so busy with training Ymir, but then it was more of the fact that Nanaba didn’t feel comfortable with a group of people she didn’t know. Ymir teased her that she was shy, but really, Nanaba just didn’t want to impose.

Nanaba retrieved her watch from her pocket and glanced at the time. “Alright you two, it’s already past midnight. Krista, I apologise for keeping your mate away for so long.”

Krista blushed at the term, still not used to it, but dazedly waved her hands. “Oh no, it’s fine, really!”

Nanaba offered a charming smile and then put her arm around Ymir’s shoulders and roughly grabbed the back of her neck. “Tomorrow we’ll try again. Stop acting like a pup and concentrate harder. We can’t waste any more time.” There was an undercurrent of urgency in her voice that Ymir obviously didn’t hear but Krista did, and she took a good look at Nanaba as the tall blonde scolded her lover. She looked tense and it probably wasn’t just because of the training they had done.

Ymir growled angrily and rolled her eyes. “Yes, _mom_.”

They both stared at each other through narrowed eyes, and then they both shivered in disgust and Nanaba quickly withdrew her arm. “Stop being creepy and put your mate to bed. She looks like she’s about to fall over.”

Ymir laughed at the awkwardness and nodded. “I will. So, tomorrow, same time?”

Nanaba nodded and followed the couple through the house to the front door.

“Oh, Nanaba!” Krista grabbed onto Nanaba’s wrist to stop her and quickly looked up at the tall blonde. “Would you like to have dinner with us tomorrow? I meant to ask you when you and Ymir were about to head off this morning but I kind of forgot.”

“Thank you for the offer Krista but unfortunately I have something important to do.” Krista visibly deflated and Ymir glared at Nanaba for disappointing her. Nanaba saw both reactions and sighed guiltily. “No really, I’m visiting Adrian tonight and I’ll probably sleep there and have dinner with him tomorrow. I promise to make it next time, is that alright?”

Krista brightened. “Sure!” She gave Nanaba a tight hug around the waist.

Ymir’s expression made Nanaba linger back for a second. “Listen, stop being such a loser and visit us sometime. If you’re lonely then let us know.” Ymir felt uncomfortable with what she was suggesting, but she felt a strong kinship with Nanaba and she did possibly even care about her.

Nanaba was strong, serious, skilled and impossibly determined. She also carried a heavy sense of sadness and loneliness with her, and Ymir had learnt to smell it just by being around her. It bothered Ymir, and maybe it was also an instinct to help a fellow cynan.  

The tall blonde smiled charmingly and grabbed Ymir’s wrist to give it a firm squeeze. “Thank you Ymir, I’ll remember that.”

Ymir grinned and squeezed back, her hand around Nanaba’s wrist, and then she let go and Nanaba walked out of the front door and down the pathway to the driveway. “Try not to kick my ass too hard tomorrow!” the brunette yelled after Nanaba had approached her car and unlocked the door.

Nanaba chuckled and waved. When she had climbed in and driven down the street, her amused and happy smile immediately dropped and her eyes drained of affection. The cynan woman tightened her hands on the steering wheel, and then she hurried to Adrian’s shop.

Once there she let herself in through the backdoor and found the old man sitting by the counter in the store despite the time. He had probably been expecting her

“Hey Adrian,” Nanaba spoke up, but she knew that he had already sensed her. “Any news?”

Adrian didn’t look at her but he did hand a newspaper over to her by sliding it along the table. “There’s been another murder.” Right down to business.

**_“Man found slashed to pieces in dirty alleyway; could this be the work of a serial killer or a wild animal?”_ **

Nanaba read the first line of the article and then she cursed softly and tossed the paper onto the table. “Do you think there is a possibility?” she asked.

Adrian stood up to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, finding that Nanaba was already tensed and stiff. “I wish it wasn’t true, but these murders have been going on for a year. By the looks of the injuries… it can only be the work of one creature.”

“How can we know for sure?”

“The others have been getting restless, Nanaba. You can sense it too.”

Nanaba bit her lip. “I was hoping they would only pass through.”

“They’ve settled here.” Adrian pulled the tall blonde with him to the back room and sat her down on a chair. He then occupied himself by making tea for them both. “Is she ready yet?”

“No. Ymir is definitely strong, very strong, but she lacks the determination and seriousness. She hasn’t completed her training yet.”

“Then we must wait and bide our time.”

“But what if they act first and we aren’t ready?”

Adrian glanced over his shoulder. “You aren’t the only one unsettled by their presence. I’ve had the others come to me for reassurance. I warned them all to prepare for a fight.”

“Does it always have to come down to a damn fight?”

Nanaba was more anxious than usual and Adrian could see it. But he understood why. Unlike most, Nanaba experienced first-hand the terror they were sure to experience too. She had been victim, and now she was determined to prevent others from suffering the same misfortune.

“If I can’t get Ymir ready soon then her mate is in danger. Krista is the most wonderful human I have ever met. She doesn’t deserve to be harmed in any way.”

“So why don’t you warn them?” Adrian placed a cup of tea in front of Nanaba, but she didn’t notice. He sat down beside her, wise eyes watching her normally calm face.

“I don’t want them to panic. Ymir especially. She might even be the first one to act if I explain the situation to her.”

Adrian took a thoughtful sip of tea. “Then continue as you have now. If they make a move you will be the first to know.”

“Thank you.”

“It won’t happen again, you know. I won’t allow their kind to do that to you.”

Nanaba stood from the table and smiled. “Thanks Adrian, but I didn’t train as hard as I have all these years to be so easily overtaken by them again. This time I am ready. My main concern is those two.” She downed the tea in one giant gulp. “I’m gonna head upstairs for a shower. Training got me really dirty today. Can I sleep over tonight?”

“Of course,” Adrian said with a smile. He stood and followed Nanaba out of the room and up the stairs to the apartment above the shop. He pulled a blanket and pillow from the lounge closet and then dropped them down on the couch. “Would you like me to let the others know you’re here?” he asked.

Nanaba was busy covering the couch with the blanket and situating the pillow. “No. Honestly, I’m exhausted. But I’d like to go around the city tomorrow and check for scents again. Could you let them know to meet me then?”

Adrian merely nodded and then he watched as Nanaba left the lounge for the small bathroom down the hall to his left. A strange eeriness filled the room, and he quickly went to lock the windows and doors because of it.

XxX

A little while after her return Ymir was finally done washing the sweat and dirt from her skin. In doing so she had left Krista alone in bed, though, so when Ymir finally left the bathroom she saw that her blonde lover was asleep while sitting.

Ymir smiled affectionately at this and switched the bathroom light off behind her before tossing her towel into the dark room and padding quietly towards the bed. She climbed in beside Krista and pulled the smaller woman into her arms. Even though she was sure to be gentle, Krista startled slightly and looked up into Ymir’s face with bleary, sleepy eyes.

“Ymir? What time is it?”

Ymir chuckled and brushed the hair out of Krista’s eyes. She leaned over to switch the lamp off and then lay down with Krista curled up at her side.

“Just after one. It’s still early, go back to sleep.”

Krista breathed a sigh and snuggled up further. “Tell me about your training,” she requested sleepily.

Ymir released a yawn and chuckled afterwards. “Babe, go to sleep. We can talk about it tomorrow. You’ll fall asleep halfway through it anyway.”

Krista grumbled against Ymir’s neck. “Will not.” But her voice sounded distant, and a moment later her body relaxed and she fell asleep again. Unfortunately the warmth, clean scent and the comfort of being with Ymir again had relaxed Krista too much, and sleep had been inevitable.

While the blonde fell deeper into unconscious Ymir yawned again, and then she glanced outside of the window at the moon. It was half full, and the sight sent a strange shiver through Ymir’s body. She didn’t quite know what to make of it, and because of that she decided to ask Nanaba about it the next day.

With a tired sigh, Ymir buried her nose in Krista’s soft hair and then she closed her eyes and fell into just as deep a sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Soft, foggy breaths left Ymir’s flaring nostrils as her four legs moved in sync. Wind roared past her ears and the brunette cynan closed her eyes for a second to enjoy the sensation tickling through her fur, and then her eyes re-opened and she pumped her legs harder to fly faster over the ground. Her footsteps echoed loudly in the peaceful air as the large canine sped through the forest, swerving past, ducking under and jumping over fallen trees. A bird dove down and Ymir barked at it, causing the creature to rethink its flight plan and hastily fly the other way.

Ymir internally chuckled, and then she allowed her tongue to loll out and she continued to enjoy the wind as she ran. Beside her, keeping just by her side, Nanaba ran too though she didn’t seem as relaxed and in fact was more focused on their surroundings. The much larger cynan kept her head down as she ran.

Nanaba’s hackles were up and eventually Ymir noticed it. They only stopped when they reached the clearing they often used for training.

The area looked as it always did, though it smelt strange. Nanaba circled the area, sniffing at the ground. A low growl started in her throat and Ymir’s ears folded back in alarm.

_Nanaba?_

_A wolf has been here._

Ymir instinctively growled and lifted her head to sniff the air. The scent was faint but it was there, and it tickled her nose and caused her to sneeze.

_Why would a lycan be here of all places?_

Nanaba circled the area once more until she had snuffed the scent out with her own, and then she regarded the trees for a long, silent moment. She contemplated the situation, and then she turned to Ymir and shifted back to her human form.

“We should skip training today.”

Ymir remained a cynan. _What? Seriously?_ Part of her was worried, because this would mark the first day that they had ever skipped training, but getting off would be nice and that meant she could spend the day with her love.

Nanaba merely nodded, face impassive. “Head back home and spend the day with your mate. I’ll come by later.” She didn’t wait for a response and quickly disappeared where she had stared earlier, still human and naked.

Ymir tilted her head as she watched her teacher leave, and then she shrugged her large shoulders and ran back the way they had come. This time Ymir had driven them out with her car, so she followed their scent back to it. Once there she shifted and then dressed in the clothes she had discarded only ten minutes ago.

Behind the wheel, Ymir paused in starting the car when she heard an unfamiliar howl. The sound sent shivers down her back, and without thinking, she reversed and sped back towards the city.

She hoped Nanaba was okay.

XxX

After Ymir and Nanba had left that morning Krista found herself meeting Petra for coffee. It was quite early, but Ymir seemed more determined than usual to train this time. Hopefully Ymir had decided to take things more seriously, and Krista would be glad for it if she did, since Nanaba was trying her hardest and using her free time to teach Ymir everything she needed to know.

It was cold and windy outside, as well as gloomy due to the glowering clouds filling the sky. As Krista walked across the parking lot to the café she glanced up at the sky and felt a twinge of nostalgia, remembering that it was round this time the previous year and a half that she had met Ymir. It had also been gloomy like it was now. The crack of thunder and small droplets of rain made Krista fasten her pace, and once inside of the building she took a breath of relief but swallowed hard when her body didn’t relax.

It was odd, she suddenly felt fearful and sick to her stomach, but then she spotted Petra waving at her and the negative emotions immediately washed away. Krista wondered if she had even really felt that or if it had just been her imagination.

“Good morning, oh cousin of mine!” Petra greeted cheerfully the moment the smaller blonde sat down across from her. She frowned at the perturbed look on Krista’s face and leaned forward to wave her back to reality. “Krista, is everything alright? Is Ymir okay?”

Krista blinked in surprise and then grinned and waved her hands. “Oh no, sorry! Everything is fine. I just got this weird feeling and it creeped me out a bit.”

“Weird feeling?”

“It’s gone now though, so forget about it. How have you been?”

Petra’s frown faded and she released a loud, dramatic sigh as she slumped forward. “Not as wonderful as you have been, I’m sure.”

Krista lifted an eyebrow. “Are you still jealous?”

“Nooo…” Petra laughed at the stern look on her cousin’s face. “Okay, maybe a little.”

“I’m sure you’ll find someone one day. When I think about it, I should really introduce you to Nana-”

Suddenly Krista’s sentence was interrupted by a waiter that appeared by the table. “May I take your order, miss?” His smile was so friendly that Krista didn’t complain about the rude interruption. Instead she gave the man her order for coffee and Petra did the same. Once he had left the two turned back to each other and smiled.

“You were saying?” Petra said.

“Oh yeah! Uh… what was I saying?” Krista’s brows furrowed and she struggled to remember what she had been about it say. It felt like something important, but for the life of her it was completely gone. The blonde merely shrugged, deducing that it wasn’t so important if she forgot so easily.

“So, why did you need me here so urgently?” Krista asked with a knowing grin. She had received an excited message from Petra just after Ymir had left, and by the tone of the text Krista was sure that Petra had some kind of good news to share.

“Yes!” Petra exclaimed in renewed excitement. She hadn’t wanted to blurt her good fortune out all of a sudden, at least not until they had settled and gotten over the pleasantries. “For once life is going my way too,” the orange-blonde said with a satisfied grin. “Remember that hospital I applied at?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, they want to hire me as a nurse’s assistant. To get experience and stuff.”

Krista broke out into a bright smile and stood to lean over and hug her cousin tightly. “Oh Petra, that’s wonderful!” She sat back down just in time to receive her coffee and continued to smile proudly at her family member.

Petra was just as overjoyed. “I’m starting next week, actually! For now it will be weekends, because exams are closing in. I’m glad that I only have one more year at university.”

Krista nodded in understanding. “Yeah, it does feel great to finally be done with school. Finding a job isn’t all that better though.”

“Oh yeah, how is the job hunting going?”

Krista tentatively sipped at her steaming coffee, wincing slightly at the burn on the tip of her tongue. She couldn’t resist taking another sip, though, and ended up placing the cup down with a pout because it was too hot and her tongue hurt now. Petra giggled at her cuteness.

“Well I got a call for an interview, actually! They said they’ll call me back with the date and stuff, and I’ve been waiting.”

Petra nodded. “That’s getting somewhere. Is Ymir doing anything yet?”

 _Well she is training and learning how to properly fight as a supernatural creature, which is something she was actually born as. Right now getting a job isn’t her biggest priority, but she is definitely doing something,_ Krista wanted to say. “Not really, but she spends most of her time with a friend,” the blonde said instead.

Petra shook her head lightly but knew not to comment. Krista hadn’t tried to explain the weird weredog thing again, and Petra had noticed that Krista gave her a lot of half-truths. Whenever she asked questions like the one she just had Krista would furrow her brows slightly and think a little before finally answering.

Petra supposed that Krista was considering her feelings. She still didn’t believe it, and hearing her cousin talk about things that shouldn’t exist creeped her out.

Petra had no idea what she would actually do if it turned out that Krista was absolutely right and not stupidly wrong.

“Hanging out with a friend?” Petra said lightly. She didn’t say anymore, because she didn’t want to upset Krista but she was concerned. How could she be okay with her girlfriend just wasting her days away hanging out with a friend?

Despite the insinuation, Krista laughed. “I know how it looks. Ymir is actually a really hard worker. You don’t have to worry.”

Petra reluctantly let it go. “Okay, sure.” She took a heavy sip from her coffee and hummed in delight. “This place makes amazing coffee.”

“It does, that’s why I always come here. We should invite the others sometime. I miss them.”

“Yeah,” Petra took a few more healthy gulps. “It’s been difficult trying to get everyone together, like we used to. What with Mikasa’s pregnancy and everything else.”

Krista nodded. A few months ago Mikasa and Sasha had started IVF and the couple were now officially on their way to parenthood. It made Krista happy, but she missed her friends because all of them had their own busy lives now.

“Hey, let’s organize a dinner with everyone. We should ask everyone and make sure that they can all come!”

“Yeah, but Reiner and Berthold are busy, remember?”

“Aw, yeah…” Krista nibbled on her lip in thought. “We can ask them nicely! I’m sure they can spend a day away from wedding planning.”

Petra shrugged. “We can always ask. I’m actually seeing Berthold tomorrow, so I’ll ask him.”

“I think Ymir needs to interact with everyone more too. They’ve gotten used to her, but there’s still this feeling that they’re all uncomfortable around each other.”

Krista had a guess as to why that was. Ymir, now knowing that she isn’t human, didn’t feel all that comfortable around a bunch of humans. She also still disliked Reiner even though the man was almost married to Berthold. The brunette struggled, but Krista definitely wanted to change that.

“Hey, isn’t that Eren?”

Krista turned around and gasped softly. Petra was right. Eren was standing by the counter, probably ordering coffee. Beside him a short, black-haired man tapped his foot impatiently, but it was noted that he had his fingers intertwined with Eren’s.

“And isn’t that your brother?” Krista asked.

Petra slumped in her chair and sighed. “It is. I hardly see him these days too, he’s so busy with Eren.”

Levi noticed them and he said a few words to Eren after he did, making the other man turn sharply towards them. Eren immediately smiled brightly and bounded towards them, forgetting the coffee and leaving his boyfriend to stumble and sputter.

“Hey guys!” Eren yelled happily. He practically pulled Krista out of her seat to hug her and then he went over to Petra and offered her a more civilized hug.

“Hang on, how come you nearly break me in half but Petra gets the special treatment?”

Eren straightened and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “I was just excited to see you…”

Petra broke out into a mischievous grin, and Eren saw it which made his face drop. A faint blush dusted over his cheeks and he pleaded with his bright, green eyes.

“He’s shy now because I caught him and Levi in–”

“Oi, you left me behind, idiot.” Levi interrupted angrily. He shoved a cup of coffee against Eren’s chest and glared until Eren took it, which he did with muttered apologies.

“Hi Levi, it’s nice to see you again,” Krista said with a smile. He nodded in return.

“Anyway, as I was saying…” Petra piped up, still smiling naughtily.

“Petra, please!” Eren yelled.

Levi sighed and rolled his eyes. “Is she talking about last week when I handcuffed you to her bed?”

Krista coughed lightly in surprise, Eren whined in defeat and Petra started to laugh.

“Levi!”

Levi allowed a sadistic smirk. “Oh, she was.” He hooked a finger around one of Eren’s belt loops and then tugged on it. “Sorry ladies, we have somewhere to be.” He ignored Eren’s protests and waved at Petra and Krista as he dragged his boyfriend out of the shop. Other customers watched them, some shaking their heads.

“Oh wow…” Krista finally commented.

“I know,” Petra said with a laugh. The orange-blonde glanced down at her watch. “Oh wow, time goes quickly. I have to be at the hospital in ten minutes.”

“Oh, I’ll walk you to your car!”

The two paid for their bill and left the warmth of the building for the chilling cold air outside. The wind was picking up, so Petra hurriedly hugged her cousin goodbye and then she quickly got into her car. Krista did the same.

They waved at each other one more time, and then drove out of the parking lot in different directions.

When Krista eventually made it home and parked in the driveway, her phone rang before she could climb out of the car. The blonde relaxed back into her seat and then answered the device as she pulled her seatbelt off.

“Hello?”

“Is this Krista?”

Krista didn’t recognize the voice, but it sounded silky and smooth and it strangely put her to ease. “This is her.”

“I’m from FM Magazine, and I looked over your CV. Would you be interested in starting next week?”

Krista opened her mouth and then she promptly shut it. Her heart began to pound and it took a long moment for the blonde to regain her breath. “Wh-what?”

The person on the phone chuckled. “I’m sorry, was that too sudden? I’m in charge of hiring new employees and you got the job.”

“B-but… an interview…”

“Nah, you don’t need that. We just started out a year ago,” Krista recalled reading about the new magazine that had recently started. “So we’ve spent the year getting everything organized. We’ve started to hire and you are the first choice. Interested?”

“U-um…” Krista swallowed the dryness from her throat.

“Look, how about we meet next week and talk? When are you free?”

“F-Friday?”

“Great, I’ll email the time and place.”

“Email?”

“It was included in your CV? Expect the email soon. My name is Homura Kagari, by the way. I apologise again for catching you off guard. I look forward to meeting with you, Krista.”

Krista took a deep breath. “Th-thank you!”

“Enjoy your day further,” Homura said and then the call ended.

Krista lowered the phone from her ear and stared at it for a long moment, and then she slapped her forehead and swore softly. “Why the hell did I act like a moron?!” She should have immediately agreed. FM offered the best pay out of all the places Krista had sent her CV to, and it offered her a chance to work somewhere she always wanted to. She had really hoped to get a job there, and now they were offering one just like that. She could forget about that other interview. The moment she met with Homura she would accept the job.

Despite being mad at herself, Krista was ecstatic. She hopped out of the car and skipped all the way to the door. When she opened the door she paused in the doorway, surprised to see Ymir out cold on the couch.

“Ymir?” The blonde closed the door and softly walked over towards her lover. She knelt down by Ymir’s side and reached out to gently brush a lock of hair out of her face. The movement woke Ymir and her eyes fluttered open.

“Krista?” Ymir didn’t move, she just rolled over onto her stomach and closed her eyes again.

“Why are you at home?”

“Skipped training today,” Ymir mumbled. “Nanaba said she’ll come by later.”

Krista’s brows furrowed. “Did something happen?”

“Dunno, think she just wanted the day off.”

“Maybe I should call Adrian.”

“Leave ‘em alone.” Ymir reached out and grabbed Krista’s wrist. “Cuddle.” She pulled Krista onto the couch with her and turned onto her side so that her love’s smaller body could fit on the couch with her.

Krista gasped in surprise, unable to resist against Ymir’s strength, and then she curled against Ymir’s chest. “Ymir, I’m not tired.”

“So what? I wanna cuddle.” Ymir buried her nose in Krista’s hair and inhaled her intoxicating scent. It made her body relax further, and she almost purred in delight.

“I didn’t know that you’re a werecat,” Krista commented with a grin.

Ymir chuckled. “Dogs can purr too if they want.”

Krista didn’t argue, she just laughed and then pressed a kiss to Ymir’s throat. She paused, inhaled and then cringed. “Ymir, you smell weird. Did you shower when you came back?”

“I was going to but then I just collapsed on the couch and went to sleep.”

“You should shower then.”

“Nooo, I’m tired.”

Krista managed to extract herself from Ymir’s arms. Luckily the brunette was tired so she couldn’t muster the strength to argue. Falling asleep at this time hadn’t been the best idea. Once Ymir went to sleep it took a while for her to wake.

“Are you hungry?” Ymir’s stomach growled. “Okay, you are. How about you hop in the shower, I order pizza and then we watch a movie?”

Ymir reluctantly pulled herself up and then she wiped at her face to get rid of some of the sleep. “Fine, just give me a second.”

“Okay dear.” Krista kissed Ymir’s forehead and then left to place the call.

After a lot of convincing and inner turmoil, Ymir stood and stumbled to the shower.

XxX

Nanaba came over much later once night had fallen. It was around eight o’clock when there was a knock at the door and Ymir shouted to Krista that she would get it.

“Hi, Ymir.” Nanaba greeted from outside with a grin.

Ymir rolled her eyes and stepped aside for Nanaba to walk in. “Hungry? We have leftover pizza.”

Krista emerged from the kitchen and gladly received a tight hug from the much taller blonde, while Ymir watched with her head tilted slightly upwards. “Would you like something to drink?”

Nanaba laughed at their hospitality and waved her hand. “Just a glass of water, please.” She went to take a seat on the couch, Ymir sitting beside her, and Krista disappeared into the kitchen to get the water.

“So how was your day off?” Nanaba asked.

“It was alright. The squirt and I just watched movies.”

Nanaba noticed the screen, and that what had been playing on it was paused. “I interrupted, didn’t I?”

“It’s okay,” Krista said cheerfully. She placed a glass down on the table in front of Nanaba and then she sat down next to Ymir and leaned into her. “So how come you let Ymir off today?”

Nanaba didn’t answer. At first she just took the glass and downed its entire contents in one giant gulp. Ymir titled her head upwards again and tentatively sniffed the air. Her brows furrowed when she smelt a foreign scent on Nanaba.

“Who was it that howled this morning? Whose scent is on you?” Ymir asked suspiciously.

Nanaba chuckled lightly and turned the now empty glass around in her hands. “Can’t hide anything from you, huh? At least you’ve learnt how to tell scents apart.” She sighed and set the glass down. “It was just a friend, don’t worry.”

“Who?” Ymir didn’t need to ask to know that it was another cynan. It was a scent similar to their own, but different. Nanaba was currently the only cynan she knew, but Ymir was sure.

“You’ll meet soon enough, I’m sure.”

“Oh!” Krista exclaimed suddenly, more to herself than to the others. She apologised with a giggle when Ymir and Nanaba turned to her expectantly. “Um… sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just remembered something.”

“Remembered what?”

Krista grinned widely and wound her arms around one of Ymir’s. She rested her chin against Ymir’s shoulder and sighed softly when Ymir nuzzled her forehead and placed a soft kiss there.

“I can’t believe that I forgot this. Ymir, you were just so cute this morning.” Ymir blushed lightly and she glared when Nanaba didn’t hide her chuckle. “Remember that magazine I sent my CV to? Well, they called me and I got the job!”

Ymir scrunched her eyebrows together. “With no interview?”

“Well, I’m meeting with someone from there.”

“When?”

“Next week Friday.”

Ymir nodded slowly. “Congratulations then. I knew you’d get an awesome job.”

“I agree with Ymir. You have a lot of skill, and any employer would lose out not to see that.”

Krista blushed at their compliments but took them all with a wide grin. “Heh, thanks you two.”

“Mind if I use the bathroom?”

Krista sighed. “Nanaba, you don’t have to ask every time.”

Nanaba laughed. “Sorry, it’s habit.” The blonde stood and headed down the hall towards the bathroom. As soon as the door was shut she pulled her phone out and dialled a familiar number. It rang a number of times until the person eventually picked up.

“Nanaba?”

“Hey Adrian, how is she doing?”

Adrian sighed from his end. He had sweat on his brow, and he used the back of his hand to quickly wipe it away. He glanced over his shoulder while he spoke. “Well, the worst of it is passed. The others came over as soon as I sent word. If you hadn’t found her when you did, I don’t know if we would have been able to save her.”

Nanaba sighed softly and rubbed a hand over her face. Realizing that Ymir could possibly hear her, she turned the tab on and then leaned against the sink counter.

“I’m glad I made it in time, and that I sent Ymir away. She would have gone mad if she had been there.”

“Nanaba, what actually happened? You left soon after we found you and she hasn’t explained it yet. Heck, the girl has been asleep this entire time. I used one of my spells to knock her out because she couldn’t handle the pain.”

Nanaba released a long breath, and then she stretched her shoulders and nodded to herself. “Okay, so here’s what happened…”

XxX

_Nanaba hoped that Ymir would listen to her and return to Krista. If anything, she hoped that the brunette would leave quickly before she caught the scent that was steadily growing stronger, or heard anything that was about to happen._

_Nanaba had smelt a lycan. Not just that, but also the scent of a stranger cynan. The scent of blood also filled the air, and it unpleasantly stung Nanaba’s nose. The blonde shifted back into her canine form and made her steps light as she traversed the wilderness and followed the stench up ahead._

_Lycans didn’t smell bad. In fact, some cynans thought that their scent was intoxicating, which more often than not led to their death. Nanaba simply felt an instinctual repulsion to the smell of any lycan._

_As the scent grew stronger and Nanaba drew nearer, the blonde also started hearing the beginnings of nails digging through the soil and of pained whimpers. They were faint, which made Nanaba pump her legs faster and eventually burst through the trees into a short break in the vegetation._

_Almost immediately her hackles rose and Nanaba lowered her head, lips pulling back over her glistening teeth to allow a vicious growl to rip from her chest. In front of her, with a cynan hanging between its teeth, a lycan stood tall. It had angry, muddy brown eyes and long reddish-brown fur. The cynan between its teeth had lush, red fur and was barely moving, possibly to the point of dying because the lycan had its teeth sunk deep into the cynan’s throat. The angle at which the cynan hung was painful too, and Nanaba’s heart thundered in anger. Even if she didn’t know the cynan, she felt enraged that a lycan dared to attack one of her kind._

_The lycan suddenly relaxed its jaw and the cynan fell to the ground, whimpering softly when it did. Blood spurted out and Nanaba panicked. She didn’t have time to fight if she wanted to save the red-haired cynan._

_But there was no option, and when the lycan drew into a tauntingly defensive stance and it started to circle, Nanaba had no choice but to do the same. She had not relaxed her threatening posture or expression once, and instead of pounding in fear like it should have her heart was thudding in adrenalin, anger and excitement. She so badly wanted to rip the damn lycan’s throat out, and she would have had the change to, but as the lycan crouched, ready to attack, a howl broke the air and the lycan lifted its head immediately, ears twitching to each direction to pin-point exactly where the howl had come from._

_Nanaba was further infuriated that the lycan did this, taking its eyes away from its enemy while in a stand-off. Was the beast that cocky, that Nanaba wasn’t a threat? She was larger than the average cynan, and even though the lycan was still considerably larger, she could very well take it on and not die._

_But the lycan seemed to grow bored, and with a mere snort in her direction it darted off into the trees to follow the sound that had called it home._

_Nanaba shifted back to her human form and collected the now human redhead into her arms. The girl’s throat had been nearly ripped out and Nanaba had about a minute or so to get her to Adrian. Even in human form she could run impossibly fast, so she did. The girl faded into unconsciousness but she kept a firm grip on Nanaba’s shoulder to limit how much she moved around while the blonde ran._

_Even though she was naked, and even though blood ran down the length of her body, Nanaba focused solely on getting the girl to help. To her utter relief a car suddenly stopped in front of her and Adrian stumbled out. A man stepped out of the driver’s seat and both of them hurried to attend to the injured cynan who had now stopped breathing._

_“Adrian, where did you come from?!” Nanaba asked in a huff, surely grateful but confused._

_“We were heading out of town to buy supplies, but it can’t be a coincidence. Son, help me put her in the backseat. Drive us back while I quickly stop the bleeding and begin to close the wound.” The man with Adrian nodded hurriedly and climbed back into the driver’s seat, nodding at Nanaba in greeting before he did so. “Nanaba, what happened?”_

_“Take care of her for now, I’ll explain it later. I need to make sure of something,” Nanaba answered and then she shifted and ran back in the direction she had come. Her chest was matted with blood, but she ignored it. She wanted to follow the lycan’s scent in hopes that she could find its leader. Maybe if she did she could surprise them with an attack. Her mind was running on adrenalin, so she wasn’t thinking clearly._

_Unfortunately the scent had ended near a street on the far side of where Adrian had found her. Whoever had called the lycan back had been in a car, and now both of them were gone. For a long time Nanaba merely paced and growled and barked in anger, but then night came and she had to return home to clean up before visiting Ymir as promised._

XxX

Nanaba released a large breath, and then she flipped the tap off and tapped a finger against her cellphone.

“Ah, so you went in search of the lycan that attacked. Can you remember what it looked like?”

“I can. It was red, with brown eyes.”

“Hmmm,” the sound of leafing pages filtered through the phone and then Adrian sighed. “Red wolves aren’t even from this country. They’re found in areas with deserts. What is a red lycan doing here?”

“Adrian, this is the modern world. Anyone can fly anywhere nowadays.”

“I guess you’re right. Still, wolves generally prefer to stay where they originate. It’s a form of pride in their heritage.”

“Is she really okay though?”

“She is. The wound is already halfway healed. By tomorrow it should be gone. There’s a possibility of scarring, though. She received deep scratches on her right arm and legs. Luckily that’s the only areas that will scar. Teeth don’t scar like claws do.”

Nanaba nodded. “How old is she?”

“Still a pup. From what I can tell she’s around nineteen. I can’t know how long she has been aware of her cynan self, though.”

“I’d like to talk to her when she’s well enough.”

“I’ll call you when she wakes up. Are you with Ymir right now?”

“I am.”

“Are you going to tell her?”

Nanaba sighed. “I don’t have to. Bye Adrian, stay safe.” Before the man could respond Nanaba ended the call, and then she opened the bathroom door and gave Ymir a level look. “Eavesdropping is rude.”

Ymir’s expression was hard. “I thought that you smelt weird the moment you stepped through the door. You didn’t get all the blood off.”

“It’ll take a few days for the scent to fade.”

“What the hell, Nanaba? Since when did you keep serious shit like this from me?”

“Ymir, you have to understand,” Nanaba stepped forward and pressed a hand to Ymir’s chest, eyes pleading. “You only have me. How will you react to another?”

Ymir shoved the hand off, grabbed Nanaba by the shirt and slammed her into the wall. Her teeth and eyes changed and an unnatural growl fell from her lips. “I can tell when you lie.”

Nanaba didn’t flinch at the aggression, but her eyes and teeth had changed too out of instinct. “Trust me.”

“Why the hell should I trust you?”

Nanaba leaned forward until their noses barely touched. “Look into my eyes. Trust me.”

Ymir narrowed her eyes for a long moment, unsure of how she felt about Nanaba keeping things from her. What else was she hiding?

“If you had been there with the lycan, you might have died. I wasn’t sure how you would react to it. Seeing a lycan is… it’s an experience that is difficult the first time.”

This time Ymir sensed the honesty, so she reluctantly let Nanaba go and then she smoothed her shirt out. “Lie to me again and I will personally scar your pretty face,” Ymir warned levelly.

Nanaba frowned. “A big threat coming from you.”

At this Ymir grinned. “You’re my friend, but Krista’s safety is my first priority. I need to know if I must protect her from anyone.”

Nanaba smoothed her hair back and released a shaky breath. In all honesty, Ymir had scared her a little. The brunette was much, much stronger than she had been a year ago.

“I won’t tell Krista of this,” Ymir said. “But I expect you to be honest with me. Respect me enough to do that.”

Nanaba nodded and then stared after Ymir’s back as she walked away. “Ymir, you don’t realize how much bigger this is. I’m hoping to get rid of them before you’re pulled into it.” She whispered softly, too softly for Ymir to hear.

It wasn’t just a case of Nanaba worried about Ymir’s temper. A lycan could be merciless, and if Nanaba’s fears were correct then every cynan in the area would surely suffer a painful death unless they figured out a way to defend themselves. If they couldn’t make them leave, then the only option left was to fight.

Running wasn’t even a possibility. Those that ran… would be hunted down and mutilated. 


	3. Chapter 3

A shrill alarm woke Krista from a deep, contented sleep. The blonde was in bed, her lover curled tightly around her back. Both were naked, and the warmth made Krista sigh deeply because she seriously did not want to get out of bed, but she had to.

Ymir struggled to wake and she most definitely didn't hear the alarm clock. This was amusing considering the fact that her hearing was more sensitive than a dog's.

Reluctantly Krista pushed Ymir's warm arm off of her body and then sat up. For a few seconds she swayed, and then she rubbed both hands over her face, sighed deeply again and turned slightly to regard Ymir.

The brunette hadn't moved an inch, she still snored with her mouth wide open and she looked as peaceful as ever. Krista glared at her.

"Ymir, get up!" She glanced at the clock. It was only five in the morning. They had only slept for what, three hours? The sooner she got Ymir out of bed and ready the sooner she could go back to sleep.

But Ymir didn't respond.

"Ymir!"

Finally some sort of life entered Ymir's body and she twitched ever so slightly. However, she was still asleep, making Krista groan in exasperation. With no options left, Krista pushed Ymir over onto her back and straddled her waist. She shivered lightly because of the chilly air.

"Ymir?" she purred out softly. Krista leaned forward and brushed their noses, pleased to see Ymir's eyes scrunch, and then she kissed her lips softly and cupped the brunette's freckled face in both hands, thumbs caressing circles to coax her into waking.

The tactic was working, as it always did, and Ymir's hands lifted to encircle Krista's small hips. Her chest rumbled softly in happiness and seconds later Ymir's lips began to respond, kissing back lazily at first but gaining in strength as Ymir woke and the sleepiness left her mind. By the time Ymir's hands were roaming and a hungry growl vibrated through Ymir to Krista's chest, Ymir was very much awake.

The only thing about waking her lover in this manner, was that getting up would become the issue. Ymir's desires were on fire, and they wouldn't leave the bed until she was sated. Thankfully Krista didn't mind one bit. Due to their connection she could feel the heated desire from Ymir seep into her pores. 

"I'm awake," Ymir mumbled lazily after releasing Krista's lips.

"I noticed," Krista responded.

“You did, did you?”

“Mm,” Krista leaned down and brushed their lips once more. “It was either seducing you like this or tossing you out of bed again.” She internally cringed at remembering the last time she had been forced to push Ymir out of bed when she refused to wake. Ymir had definitely been unhappy, and that had certainly not been the best start to a nice day. Ymir remembered the occurrence too and she frowned lightly, but then she grinned.

Krista gasped loudly in surprise when Ymir suddenly lifted them and flipped them over, putting Krista on her back underneath her and vulnerable to her fingertips.

"I like the seducing part more," Ymir husked softly against Krista's ear and then she trailed her lips to her throat and pressed strong, heated kisses along the skin there. “The floor hurts.”

“It’s only your fault because you don’t wake up.”

“Nanaba keeps me busy all day and you keep me up all night.”

At that Krista rolled her eyes. “I think you’re the one guilty of that. I did say that we needed sleep last night.”

Ymir groaned. “I didn’t want sleep last night. I wanted you. I still do, thanks to your wonderful waking method.”

"Ymir we don't really have time for this..."

Ymir chuckled as if greatly amused by the thought. "We do."

"Nanaba will be here in an hour."

"She'll know to stay outside."

"We were up all night!"

Ymir growled softly. "Tell me you don't want me right now."

Krista swallowed thickly and lifted her arms to press her hands to Ymir's hot chest. Thanks to the brunette laying on top of her, blanketing Krista's naked skin with her own, the blonde felt none of the cold.

A sharp wave of heat washed over the blonde and she surprised Ymir by pulling her down by the neck for a hard, hungry kiss.

"I do. I want you right now."

"I'll make it quick," Ymir said with a loaded grin.

Krista chuckled and took a hold of Ymir's hand. "Well," she trailed hers and Ymir's hand down the length of her body. Ymir watching the blonde's eyes intently and her lower back began to tingle when a new wave of arousal hit her. Her skin prickled pleasantly, and Ymir leaned forward to bite gently into Krista's shoulder, not piercing the skin, and then Krista released her hand and Ymir guided it herself.

Ymir caressed the soft, velvety skin on Krista's quivering stomach. When she reached her hips, she circled each a number of times before dipping lower and pressing her hand against Krista's thigh.

Krista, breathing heavily and more than ready, wrapped her arms around Ymir's shoulders and squeezed her eyes shut. Breathlessly she said, "Is this your idea of quick?"

Ymir laughed softly. "No fun without a little foreplay." As she said it she moved her hand tantalizingly close and then she quickly withdrew it, making Krista squirm and moan in frustration.

"Ymiiiir!"

Taking that as a command, Ymir finally gave Krista what she wanted and enter her so quickly that the blonde hadn't expected the strength of it. Ymir positioned her hips between Krista's thighs, hand lost between them, and then she started to rock against her mate.

Krista pulled Ymir tighter against her and shuddered violently when Ymir moaned deeply in her ear.

"I love you," Ymir gasped out softly.

“I love you too, my cynan.” Krista smiled and arched upwards into Ymir's larger body, her nails slowly digging into Ymir's strong shoulders.

Their hearts joined, and it felt as if everything in the world suddenly made sense as Krista and Ymir moved together. Both felt their chests swell with a familiar emotion, and the moment sent memories flying through Krista’s mind. She remembered her first meeting with Ymir, what followed afterwards and everything that happened until now. Tears pickled her eyes slightly due to the force of her emotions, but instead she channelled that into kissing Ymir tenderly and lovingly, with all the emotions she felt.

Ymir felt everything, and her skin began to shiver, sweat slowly trickling down her back. The cold barely touched her, for she was already warm by nature and now even more so thanks to the friction. She curled her arm underneath Krista’s body, pulling the blonde closer against her, and slowed the speed of her thrusts. They were still powerful, but calculated and timed just right to make Krista gasp and tingle in the most exquisite of ways.

After a long while of this, both finally uttered guttural moans and shuddered together as they came.  Afterwards, Ymir withdrew herself and then collapsed onto her stomach beside Krista.

"I'm heading back to sleep. Nanaba can kiss my ass."

Krista groaned but giggled and sat up. She leaned over Ymir and gently kissed her shoulder.

"Come on sweetheart, get up. We both need a shower now." She glanced over at the clock. "We have twenty minutes left until your mentor gets here."

Ymir sighed. "Alright." She reluctantly pulled her body out of bed and then she lifted Krista with her.

"I thought that you're tired."

"Not tired enough not to carry my midget."

Krista pouted. "You're commenting on my height again."

Ymir snickered. "You make fun of me too."

Krista reached up and scratched behind Ymir's ear, making the brunette pause just in front of the shower and tilt her head to the side.

"Gonna shake your leg?"

Ymir unfroze and reached into the shower to turn it on. "Har har."

Krista giggled. "So what are you learning today?"

Ymir stepped into the shower and finally set Krista down onto her feet. "We were supposed to do more defence training yesterday. I'll learn how to hunt soon."

"Hunt? Like hunt prey?"

Ymir nodded. She squirted shampoo into her hand and then started to lather it into Krista's hair. "Yup."

Krista enjoyed the feeling of Ymir's long fingers combing through her hair, but shuddered in disgust at the thought of Ymir killing an animal and eating it. "Ew."

Ymir shrugged and allowed Krista to wash the shampoo from her hair. "I dunno, it doesn't freak me out. Don't know if I'll be able to eat raw meat though."

"Well I suppose your stomach is suited for it. Bend down and let me wash your hair."

"Suited, yeah, but not used to it."

"You could train to get used to it?"

"I'm pretty sure that is what we'll do. But why are you encouraging me? Aren't you grossed out by the thought?"

"I am but I want to support you. As long as you thoroughly brush your teeth and rinse your mouth out before even thinking of kissing me."

Ymir stood and allowed the shower water to run through her hair to rinse it. Afterwards she pulled Krista against her and bit into her neck. "Sure thing, babe." She kissed the spot she had bitten and then straightened again.

"Want me to wash your back?"

Ymir nodded and reached for their sponge.

A few moments later they finally finished in the shower and dressed in the bedroom. Ymir kept her outfit light, only a pair of shorts and a shirt, while Krista returned to wearing pyjamas.

Ymir sat down on the bed and then collapsed backwards. "I'm worried," she said.

Krista retrieved her brush and then sat next to Ymir. "About what?" She tugged at Ymir's shirt and the brunette sat up. Slowly and gently she began to run the brush through Ymir's damp brown hair.

"I don't know. About Nanaba. I'm just worried."

"She has you, so I'm sure she'll be okay."

Ymir wanted to mention that Nanaba was doing something in secret, but she held her tongue and instead nodded. "Yeah, guess you're right."

Krista felt Ymir's emotions and that she was holding something back, but she didn't mention it and merely ran a hand through her cynan's hair when she was done brushing it to give it the usual messy look.

Ymir was about to say something, but then her head turned and she sniffed at the air. "Nanaba is here."

"It's still a bit creepy how you always know when she's here before she knocks."

"She knocks for you." And at that a knock sounded from the front door.

Ymir stood and pulled Krista into her arms. She dipped down and kissed her long and hard, and then she released her and gently caressed a thumb over her cheek.

"Stay safe. You know how to contact me if anything happens."

Krista leaned into the touch and sighed. "I'm always safe. Have fun with Nanaba and don't give her too much trouble."

Ymir chucked. "I'll try," and then she let go and exited the room.

Krista listened to her footsteps until she had left the front door, and then she glanced over at the bed and frowned. She suddenly didn't feel all that tired, despite the time, so she slipped a gown on and then went into the kitchen to make hot chocolate. Afterwards she grabbed her laptop and a blanket, bundled herself up comfortably in the corner of the couch and then she sipped on her drink and opened her email.

After a moment of loading, notifications popped up and Krista noticed an unfamiliar name. It took a second to recognize it, and when she did Krista smiled slightly and clicked on the email;

**_To:_ ** _KristaR@email.com_

**_From:_ ** _HomuraKagari@email.com_

**_Subject:_ ** _Lunch_

_Good evening, Ms Krista._

_I apologise for sending this so late, or perhaps so early. As promised, here are the details for our meeting next Friday. 10:00 a.m. at Pinnacle Beach. If the location is not possible, I would appreciate word, and we can decide on somewhere else. You already have the job, so there is no need to impress. Dress comfortably. If you have questions about what we do and what will be expected of you, save them for Friday. I am more than happy to answer._

_Yours Truly,  
Homura._

_PS: I should probably mention that I will be wearing a simple white button-up shirt with black pants. I should be easy to spot. I look forward to our meeting, Ms Krista._

Krista skimmed over it again, and then she nervously typed back a response, merely confirming that she would be there. After hitting send she relaxed back into the couch and went through her other emails, all the while wondering what Homura looked like and if this was actually happening. A slight pinch confirmed that it was, and Krista swallowed the last of her hot chocolate feeling immensely happy.

Now done with her drink and with checking her email, Krista decided to watch a movie to pass the time. She hooked her laptop up to the TV and then selected one of the romantic movies Ymir had refused to watch.

With a light yawn and a stretch, Krista curled up in a ball and then relaxed. Her eyelids grew heavy mere minutes into the movie, and soon she fell right back to sleep, reasons for staying awake forgotten.

XxX

 Krista only woke hours later, and not of her own desire. She had fallen asleep in the lounge on the couch, so when the house phone rang, shrill and loud, Krista was startled into waking. It took four rings for Krista to finish panicking and realize that it was the phone, and then she dived for the phone and answered it on the fifth ring.

"Hello?!"

"Thank goddess. I thought you'd never answer."

Krista manages to sink back into her cocoon and sighed. "Sorry Petra, I was asleep."

"At one in the afternoon?

Krista glanced at the clock. “Yes, at one in the afternoon.”

On her end, Petra lifted a brow. “Sounds like you stay up too late.”

“And that is entirely not my fault.”

“Ymir’s then?”

Krista blushed. “Maybe…”

“Do you… um…” Petra smiled against her hand, considering if she should still ask, and then she decided that she might as well. “Do you have sex often?”

Krista was torn between a number of reactions. First, she wanted to yell and drop the phone to cover her face which was already burning a brighter shade of red. Second, she wanted to laugh long and loud and nod vigourously, and then confirm that they did at least twice a day. However, Krista chose a third, more mature reaction.

“In all honesty?” she asked calmly, not allowing her embarrassment to leak into her voice. “We do, a lot.”

Petra hadn’t expected the level answer, or such an honest one, so she burnt up bright with a blush of her own and cough lightly into her hand. “Wow, okay… U-um…” she cleared her throat. “You’ll have to give me the details some other time. The reason why I called is to tell you that I spoke to Mikasa and she wants us all to have dinner together. She convinced Eren and Sasha. I also spoke to Reiner and Berthold today and the totally don’t mind.”

Krista uncurled from her blanket bundle and stretched to get the kinks out of her back. “What, seriously? Everyone is okay with it just like that?”

“Yeah! The only time they can all get a moment away is next weekend, though. Is that possible?”

Krista considered what she and Ymir would be doing then, and then she deduced that they would merely do the usual, so she grinned broadly and stood from the couch. “That’s perfect. I’ll get Ymir to cook with me!”

“I didn’t know Ymir can cook.”

“There’s always a time to start.”

Petra giggled. “Sounds like that will be fun. So does seven sound fine?”

Would Ymir be home around that time? Krista thought about it for a moment, and she realized that she would have to ask Nanaba and Ymir to hold off on training for that do. Was it worth it, though? “Uh, that’s fine, I suppose.” She could always change the time after talking to Ymir, if they couldn’t skip another day of training.

“Great. I’ll email everyone else. Are you doing anything today?”

“Just the usual.”

Petra hummed. “Ah, the usual. I’ll leave you to it then.”

The two exchanged farewells, and then Krista placed the phone back onto its stand and she regarded it with a smile for a long while.

It was nice that her friends were so willing to hang out again. She really missed them all so much. Next weekend was sure to be a lot of fun, and a time to catch up on everyone’s lives. She could also show Ymir off, which Krista was secretly fond of doing. It wasn’t a secret to Ymir, though. The brunette could see right through Krista about anything. Ymir was the only one that could truly look into Krista’s eyes and see right down to her very core.

It also helped that she had access to Krista’s emotions.

XxX

Ymir breathed harshly. She pressed a hand to her nose and winced slightly, not due to any real pain but because she had known it was there. She glanced up at the trees above her and sighed so deeply that she scowled at herself right after.

Nanaba approached lightly, careful, and then she dropped down beside Ymir and stretched her arms in front of her. “How’s your nose?”

Ymir shrugged. “Healed minutes ago.”

“Blood?”

“Dried.”

“It stinks.”

Ymir sighed again. “I know. It’s all I can smell.” It stung her nose unpleasantly, and in that moment Ymir wished she didn’t have such a sensitive sense of smell.

Nanaba rubbed a hand over her forearm, getting some of the dried blood and sweat off of it. “I’m sorry.”

Ymir immediately punched Nanaba in the shoulder, making her blonde teacher topple over and growl. “Stop goddamn apologising. It was an accident.”

Nanaba righted herself and glared. “Yeah well I feel bad. I didn’t mean to head-butt you.”

“Luckily for you I’m used to getting knocked in the head by blondes.” She smirked despite herself, remembering the many, many times her little lover had delivered a painful head-butt either due to something she said or something she did.

“That Krista is something,” Nanaba commented.

Ymir smiled. “She sure is.”

“Still, I’ve never seen a human connect with one of us like this before.”

Ymir turned her head, finally leaving her nose alone and forgetting that it had been broken, and stared curiously. “Is it not heard of?”

Nanaba shrugged. “Adrian says that cynans stick to cynans in order to keep bloodlines pure.”

“Bloodlines?” Ymir leaned back onto her elbows and scoffed. “If you haven’t noticed I don’t have a dick.”

Nanaba remained sitting and she did not turn to share a look with Ymir, though she wanted to. “Same-sex mates are not uncommon with our people. Humans are the only race to speak against it.”

“No shit, seriously?”

“It’s more than just what you have between your legs. We are as much spirit as we are flesh and bones. If you wanted to, you could get Krista pregnant.”

At this Ymir sat up. “How?”

Finally Nanaba looked into her eyes. “Ymir, we are a race of awareness. If you intend it, so shall it be.”

“So if I want wings all I gotta do is imagine it?”

“I’ve never heard of that working before, but I suppose you could try.”

“No but seriously. Can I really have kids with her one day, naturally, if I ever want to?”

Nanaba nodded, and then she smiled. “Unfortunately I’m not sure how she would handle carrying your child.”

Ymir’s brows furrowed. “Because she’s human?”

“That and her size.”

“So… so it would be a risk?”

Nanaba shrugged. “No human has ever successfully birthed a cynan before, as far as Adrian’s books have told him. Do you think you’d ever want children with her?”

Ymir thought about it. “Not if it risks her life.”

Nanaba’s smile turned sad. “Some happiness needs a sacrifice, I guess.”

Ymir agreed, but she wasn’t entirely sure how she felt on the matter. She had never really wanted anything like kids, but Krista made her feel all warm and happy inside, and she couldn’t help but wonder now what their babies would look like if they were ever to have any.

Blonde? Blue eyed? Short? Or perhaps tall and dark like Ymir? Maybe a mix of light and dark?

“What do babies of our kind look like?”

Nanaba furrowed her brows and laughed in amusement. “They look human, of course. The change comes with puberty, but only if they are aware. Some change before, but those are the lucky ones.”

“Shit I only changed in my twenties.”

“I was one of the lucky ones.”

Ymir’s eyes widened in surprise. Nanaba saw it, and she saw the way Ymir’s eyes shone with questions, so she shifted and took steps towards the edge of the trees. She turned her head to look back at Ymir and then she kicked at the ground.

_Break is over, let’s go over everything one more time._

Ymir merely nodded and changed, and then she followed Nanaba through the trees. The surroundings were peaceful and quite, and the scent of the lycan was long gone. Ymir still didn’t know what had happened that day, or who Nanaba had saved, but she was sure that she would know soon.

She also wondered what Nanaba’s backstory was, and the curiosity didn’t leave her even as they began to fight again.

XxX

The sun was warm despite the cold air, and the clouds had disappeared overnight. They would probably return as the day grew darker, but for now they were gone and Krista was making the most out of the warmth. She sat outside in her backyard, on a bench Ymir had built for her. It was placed beneath the largest tree in the yard, comfortably in the shade when the sun was the highest. Should the sun become too hot, Krista could move up to the other end and cool off in the shade. For now, she enjoyed the light while a notebook rest on her lap.

On days like these, with nothing else to do but wait until Ymir returned, Krista liked to write. She wrote about anything; her day, the weather, what her friends were up to or she would delve into a little fiction and drain herself of it until her creativity ran out.

This time Krista felt an odd desire for fiction, and so she scribbled elegantly along the glowing, white pages with her favourite black pen. Tales of mighty warriors running on all fours and protecting their mates covered the pages. She had already written quite a few pages of her story down and she still had no real idea of where the story was taking her.

Words just seemed to flow, and as they did Krista wrote them. She went into an intense concentration as she did so, drowning out the sound of the wind rustling the leaves and of small bird chirping on the branches.

Krista was still fascinated with the idea of people who could shift into other creatures. She still had a lot to learn about Ymir, and what being with her entailed. She understood their vast differences. At a time she had worried about that, but nothing had become a problem yet. No one interfered, no one tried to separate them, and so far they worked so perfectly together that Krista smiled brightly just at the thought of her tall lover.

It would be nice if everything stayed that way, and Krista briefly wondered if they would. Dark thoughts suddenly invaded her mind then, causing Krista’s pen to falter. In that instance she glanced up from the page she had been staring at and caught a sight that sent a startling chill down her spine.

At the edge of the yard, a large animal stood, staring with glowing, intelligent golden eyes. The look in them was nothing more than curious, but Krista still felt a flutter of fear in her heart at the way the creature stood so tall it looked over the gate. A wind blew by, rustling its thick fur. The ears twitched, it lowered its head to sniff the ground, and then it sneezed lightly and turned to run back wherever it had come from.

Krista hadn’t realized that she had been holding her breath, so she exhaled harshly when her lungs started to burn. Her hands shook, and with a trembling breath Krista gripped her notebook to her chest and hurried back inside. She made sure to lock all windows and doors, and then she grabbed her phone and nervously stared at it.

Should she call Ymir? Nanaba?

Ymir had most likely felt her distress already, even through the distance between them. She would most likely burst in, angry and panicked, with Nanaba yelling for her to calm down. Calling them would be the best option, whether they had a phone on them or not – not being the most likely considering their undress.

It was already five in the afternoon, so Krista decided to leave a message on Nanaba’s cell and maybe head over to Petra’s until Ymir came back. She wasn’t sure if that had been a cynan or a lycan, but either way the memory of it scared her. Knowing how easily it could have ripped her throat out terrified her even more. Threatening or not, seeing another shifter in such a personal place was not the most pleasant experience.

Krista gripped the phone tightly in her hand and breathed deeply for a few moments to calm herself while she waited. Eventually the dial tone morphed into a voice, and Krista smiled in relief.

“Uh, hi. This is Nanaba. I’m not with my phone at the moment, but you can leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

There was a beep, and then Krista took a breath. “H-hi Nanaba. I’m sorry to call at this time. You must be busy with Ymir. I, um, I’m not sure if she knows yet, but I just had an encounter with one of your kind. I’m fine, so don’t panic and please tell Ymir not to panic. It looked more curious than anything, but I don’t feel really safe right now. I’m heading out to Petra, so just tell Ymir to get me there. I hope the training went alright. Okay, uh, bye.”

She hung up, stared at the phone for a moment and then she placed it down and went through the house to her bedroom to fetch a jacket. Afterwards she cautiously made her way to the car.

The entire ride to Petra consisted of worried glances along the road, looking for either a familiar dark brown fur or the unfamiliar golden eyes. Krista found neither, and the ride was more stressful than it should have been.

XxX

They were currently running, chasing a rabbit, but Ymir stopped so suddenly that Nanaba flew past her and yelped in surprise. The blonde cynan forced her large body to stop and then she hurried back to Ymir’s side, alarmed.

_Ymir? What’s wrong?_

Ymir’s ears were twitching back and forth and her eyes were closed. It was as if she was trying to hear for something. Eventually her eyes flashed open and Nanaba saw worry there.

_Nanaba, we need to head back to the car. You have a_ _voicemail_ _._

Nanaba titled her head. _A_ _voicemail_ _?_

XxX

“Whoa, calm down there Krista!” Petra exclaimed after opening the door. She had been in her study reading a book when she had suddenly heard panicked knocking on her door. Krista’s pale appearance didn’t lessen any of Petra’s worries.

“Hey Petra, I’m sorry to bother you like this,” Krista said as she gently brushed past her and entered the house.

Petra glanced behind Krista as she passed by to see if anyone was close, but she saw nothing, and wondered why her cousin looked so stricken. “What happened? Is Ymir okay?”

Krista cracked a smile despite her panic. “You always assume something happened to Ymir when I look scared or down.”

Petra followed her into the lounge and sat down beside her. Petra's brows creased. “Because that stud is your everything. She’s all you talk about and all that makes your sun rise.” Petra leaned forward and rested her elbow on her leg. Chin resting in her palm, she turned to give Krista a droll look. “I see it every time you look at her!”

At this Krista had to blush. She knew that it was obvious. Anyone could see the way they glanced at each other, or the way Ymir always gently pressed a hand to Krista’s lower back, or brushed a finger across her cheek, or pushed a lock of hair behind a pink ear or simply just smiled when Krista’s blue eyes blinked upwards at her.

“Yeah… well… Ymir should be here soon. She’s alright. Actually, she’s with a friend right now.”

“Hmm, I see. Care to explain why you’re here over a cup of coffee or tea?”

“Tea please, and I don’t think you want to hear my problems.”

Petra tugged Krista with her to the kitchen. “Aw, come on cuz. I’m worried about you.”

Krista sighed. She definitely felt a lot better than she had when she was driving over. The panic and worry was gone, and she felt safe and calm with her cousin. Knowing Ymir was rushing back eased her stress away further. Krista suddenly really missed Ymir, and she wondered what she would say to her when her lover broke Petra’s door down to get to her.

"Trust me," Krista said.

"I do trust you, but I want to know if you're in some sort of trouble because I care about you."

The kettle was switched on and as the water began to boil Krista thought. She needed someone to talk to about all her supernatural issues, but Petra still didn't believe her. Krista had called or visited Adrian a few times, but the man was of an older generation. Most of the topics Krista needed to talk to someone about were too personal and embarrassing for anyone other than Petra. Nanaba was a no-go too, because she seemed very awkward when Krista tried to talk to her. Krista remembered the last time she had asked the blonde for relationship advice.

_"So, um, can I ask you something Nanaba?"_

_"Of course. What's troubling you?"_

_"I-is it normal for... Um... Ymir she... Is it normal for a cynan's sex drive to be so high?"_

_Nanaba went absolutely still, and then she coughed lightly and scratched behind her ear. She shared an awkward look with a blushing Krista and then rubbed a hand over her face._

_"Is it like that for you too?"_

_This time Nanaba coughed for real when she choked on her breath, not expecting that question._

_"We have a very... strong desire, to, uh, to procreate. It's an instinct. So yeah, it's normal. As for me..." Nanaba's eyes suddenly grew serious. "It's the same for all of us."_

So Nanaba wouldn't feel comfortable talking about Ymir, that much was certain. Krista had no one else who could possibly listen, though. So she decided then to give Petra another chance to believe her.

"It's a cynan thing," Krista finally stated. When she looked up she saw that Petra had frozen by the kettle, where she had been pouring water into the cups. After a while her shoulders relaxed, and then she exhaled loudly and went to the fridge to get milk.

"A supernatural problem, then?"

Krista heard the disbelief there and it hurt her. Petra thought her a liar and someone who would believe in fairy tales that didn't exist. What would it take for her to believe?

"I can prove it, you know." Krista said. Her lips were pressed in a hard line, showing her displeasure.

Petra finished with the milk and after putting it back in the fridge she slowly turned to face the smaller blonde.

"I'm sorry that I'm struggling to believe in this fantasy world you've got going there. How is anyone supposed to believe their cousin when she claims to be in a relationship with an animal? It's absurd."

"Not an animal. Ymir is a cynanthrope. A weredog. She is not an animal."

"So your girlfriend turns into a dog at full moon. That doesn't sound any more convincing!"

"I thought of all people you would believe me!" Krista yelled, hurt with Petra's words. "You look at me like I need to be in a mental institute. I keep trying to show you but you won't let me!" Her face shone red with anger.

"Because I know it's bullshit!"

"Why do you ask about my troubles when you dismiss them as nothing more than tales?!"

"Oh, so now I'm the bad guy for caring? What is this Ymir doing to you?! I barely see you anymore, and when I do you're either with that woman or you'll find some way to talk about her. Does she have you on drugs?"

If Krista's face had been red a minute ago, then it was surely glowing scarlet now.

"I'm sick of this!" Krista shouted loudly, so loud that her lungs ached. "I'll show you whether you want to see it or not!"

Petra took a breath to yell back, but then a sudden loud crash startled them both and a blur of brown rushed before Petra's eyes. Before she could even swallow, she was confronted with the biggest dog she had ever seen, and its teeth were bared, a growl ripping from between them in Petra's direction.

It circled Krista once, and after growling in warming it sat down behind the small blonde and leaned forward to gently lick her cheek.

Krista immediately turned and wrapped her arms around Ymir's thick neck. Slowly the anger drained from her body and the adrenalin causing her heart to thud painfully subsided. As Krista calmed, so did Ymir, and the growl in her chest ceased into silence.

"Ymir, I'm sorry." Krista pulled out of the hug to reach up and rub Ymir's muzzle. The brunette's ears folded back in pleasure and she closed her eyes for a minute to enjoy the sensation, but then they snapped open and regarded Petra.

 _I heard you yelling, I felt your anger and hurt and it made me panic,_ Ymir said.

Krista took a step back, looking guilty. She looked behind her at Petra and saw her cousin standing absolutely still and staring at Ymir with wide, shocked eyes.

"No... It... It can't be..." Petra whispered softly in disbelief.

"Ymir, you can change."

_Think she can handle it?_

"It's not up to her anymore."

Ymir attempted to chuckle, but it only came out as a gruff rumble, and then she shrugged her large shoulders and shifted back into human form in an instant. Slight steam twirled up from her skin, and she was still naked but she stood tall and proud and smirked over at Petra.

"Do you believe me now?" Krista asked.

Petra looked from Krista to Ymir, nodded shortly once, and then she passed out.

Ymir was fast enough to catch her and she sighed after she did, and then she stood with Petra out cold in her arms.

"She couldn't handle it," Ymir said.

Krista shrugged. "I told you, it wasn't up to her anymore."

Ymir squinted at Krista, and then she decided to let it go and carried the woman in her arms to the lounge.

"Babe?" Ymir called over her shoulder.

Krista paused by the kitchen doorway and watched Ymir put Petra down onto the couch. "Yeah?

"I smell tea. Can I have some? I ran here on my own after hearing the voicemail you left."

Krista smiled affectionately and then she retrieved the still hot cups of tea. She took them over to Ymir and handed one to her.

"How long are we going to be here?" Ymir asked. She downed the warm liquid in one go and dropped the cup onto the closest coffee table.

"After we talk with Petra. I don't want her to think it was a dream."

"But Krista," Ymir pointed at herself. "I’m naked."

Krista bit her lip. "Oh I know."

Ymir sensed the arousal coming from Krista and then she chuckled, pulled the blonde into her arms and smirked against the warm skin behind her ear.

"Getting hot for me already?" She flicked her tongue out to taste the skin, enjoying Krista's shiver, and then she pressed her lips to the junction between Krista's shoulder and neck. "I want to bite you."

Krista shivered violently and covered her mouth with a hand just as she moaned. Ymir biting her was equivalent to an entire night's love making. The mere sentence set her nerves on fire. 

"We can't," Krista whined softly in disappointment. "Petra just passed out. We can't have sex in her house." Krista turned around and before Ymir could complain she stopped her with a heated kiss. Eventually she released her lips, and when she did Krista said, "When we get home, though..." She caressed Ymir's warm chest with a finger.

Ymir shivered and nodded vigorously. Images were pushed into her mind and she had to blink a few times to refocus her vision when they faded. A deep blush covered Ymir's face, highlighting her freckles, and then she swallowed.

"Did you just...?"

Krista kissed her lightly on the jaw. "I did. Now run home quickly to get dressed."

Ymir almost obeyed without question, but then she remembered the reason for her panic in the first place and lifted her nose to sniff the air. She tested the scent around and on Krista too, but caught nothing that made her worry. Only after ensuring that no other shifter had touched her mate Ymir turned into her cynan form and ran back home as quickly as possible. When she returned, folded clothes between her jaws, Petra was awake.

The orange-blonde wasn't as shocked as earlier, but she still seemed startled when Ymir trotted into the lounge. The cynan dropped her clothes to the floor and then started to change into them after shifting.

"Welcome back," Krista said.

Ymir grinned while pulling her shorts on. "How was the nap, Petra?"

Petra swallowed lightly. "Krista… Ymir... I..." She grappled for words, unable to get her feelings and thoughts properly communicated.

Krista felt slightly bad. "Petra, this is the truth. You saw her with your own eyes. We will leave and give you time to figure out how you feel about this, but please don't dismiss it. Promise me that you won't."

Petra's mouth wouldn't move, so she merely nodded. 

"I am sorry for shocking you, though." Krista said.

Ymir snorted. "I'm not."

Krista ignored the comment. Instead, she gave her cousin a long hug and then left with Ymir.

Upon walking through the front door Krista was relieved to see that her cynan hadn't actually broken the door down, she had just forced it open, and since it hadn't been locked there was barely any damage.

XxX

Unfortunately their sexcapades would have to wait longer, because when they arrived home Nanaba had been pacing around the front yard. When she noticed them she seemed hugely relieved, and physically relaxed as a result.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

Ymir nodded. "I haven't asked her about it yet. Did you sniff the area for any scent?"

Nanaba's jaw tensed for a second and then she nodded.

"And?" Krista asked.

"Gone with the wind," Nanaba answered. The way her eyes flicked to the side told Ymir that the blonde was lying, but Ymir decided not to bring it up yet. "Ymir, take the rest of the day off." She approached the couple and then she paused abruptly and her eyes flicked over to Krista.

"What?" Krista asked. "Is there something on my face?"

Nanaba shook her head, but she continued to stare. She stepped closer and Ymir allowed her to. Nanaba inhaled deeply, and then she circled Krista a few times, lingering on a foreign scent.

"Nanaba, what is it?" Ymir demanded.

Nanaba seemed to return to reality and realize what she was doing, and then she stepped away. "I don't really know. A scent bothered me." She gave Krista one more scrutinizing look. "Anyway, take the day off. We'll continue training tomorrow."

Ymir's brows were furrowed as she nodded, and then the couple watched Nanaba drive away in her car. She waved, and they waved back.

"That was odd," Krista commented.

Ymir shrugged. She headed for the house and impatiently waited for Krista to catch up, to unlock the door. Once they were inside and the door was closed behind them, Ymir suddenly lifted Krista into her arms and gently pressed her against the wall, making Krista gasp.

"You found the mood quickly again."

Ymir grunted and started to pull at their clothes. When Krista was shirtless she wasted no time and sunk her teeth into Krista's shoulder.

Krista groaned deeply and wrapped her legs around Ymir's waist. "Or maybe you never lost the mood at all." 

Ymir's hand travelled down Krista’s stomach and into her pants, and then Krista moaned again and arched into Ymir. "Fuck!" Krista exclaimed suddenly.

Ymir's chest rumbled, she ran her tongue around her teeth and then carried Krista to the bedroom

"Can I just mention how I love it when you swear?" Ymir said with a groan when she released Krista from her bite.

Krista smirked naughtily. "Oh I know." She forced Ymir onto her back and straddled her waist. "I wonder how long we can last this time."

The passion in her eyes set Ymir's desires alight, and when the blonde started a dominating, hungry kiss, she relaxed, shivered, and let Krista do as she pleased.


	4. Chapter 4

Nanaba curiously sniffed the ground at her feet as she walked calmly through the trees. She wasn’t on high alert for anything, since she was merely out for a stroll. Patrolling the area for any scents had been done well over an hour before. There was no other way the blonde could leisurely enjoy the sunrise, at least not since the danger had moved into the city.

The morning was as it should be, slightly cold with a beautiful blue-grey sky. The clouds were puffy as the sun revealed more and more of them, and Nanaba definitely enjoyed watching them.

She was sitting, large head titled back and eyes fixed on the horizon. As she stared her mind worked, and Nanaba thought over Ymir’s progress. She was proud of Ymir for everything she had learnt in such a short time-span, and an uncomfortable pang of guilt hit her right in the heart. She wondered if maybe she shouldn’t talk to Ymir about what was happening. Maybe she was underestimating the brunette. Maybe Ymir would end up helping if she was let in on the current situation.

Although, considering how Ymir had left without a thought when Nanaba had listened to that voice message left on her phone by Krista, Nanaba wasn’t so sure if Ymir would be able to keep a level head with Krista on the line.

It was an early Friday morning, the day that Nanaba usually spent alone in the wilderness to think. Lately it hadn’t been too safe to do this, as the attack of the other day was warning enough. Nanaba still couldn’t figure out what they wanted. Was it simply territory? Why care about a little city? Surely there were better places to conquer. Nanaba knew that if they really were here to take over the area, then getting them to leave wasn’t really an option. Fighting was the only way. A quiet denial kept Nanaba from fully accepting the situation. She was still hopeful of finding a solution that led no one else into the fray, and left things peaceful.

From the distance Nanaba heard quick, heavy footsteps and all at once the harsh scent she so hated assaulted her senses. By the time she was on all fours, hackles risen, three large wolves emerged into the clearing, all of them baring their teeth and growing threateningly.

Nanaba tried not to panic. She needed to stay calm and think of a way to escape. Fighting one on her own still left her with a chance, but three large lycans were definitely too much for her to take on and expect to live. She could feel the power and danger rolling off of them and it made her lips curl back even more.

 _I’m hungry for some doggie meat,_ one of them said, earning chuckles from the other.

 _She looks like she’s about to bolt,_ another said. This one was standing to the left of the first one that had spoken. It was slightly larger and seemed less sadistic than the others. The one to the right, however, looked like it was willing to tear the fur off of Nanaba’s flesh merely to enjoy her screams.

Nanaba swallowed and her body remained tense. _What do you want?_ she bravely asked.

The wolf to the right stepped forward and shook its thick fur. _Who gave you permission to talk to us, mutt?_ Its steps were heavy and thudding, and each time its clawed feet hit the floor Nanaba’s heart climbed higher into her throat. She wanted to run so badly that her muscles burnt, but she couldn’t. If she ran it would be seconds before they caught up and tore her to shreds.

 _We shouldn’t be playing around,_ the one on the left said with a bored look upon its face. Unlike the other two, it had ceased to growl and bare its fangs.

 _Shut the fuck up,_ the one stepping towards Nanaba roared. _We haven’t been allowed any goddamn fun for weeks!_

Nanaba was trembling; No longer from fear, but from absolute rage. They were conversing, as if debating her fate, as if she was a toy and not a living thing. It made her heart burn with anger and she felt sudden strength fill her limbs. She refused to let these filthy creatures murder her in cold blood. Even if she had to be torn up in the process, she would damn well fight these creatures until she was soaked in their blood.

With the image of their bodies littering the ground, Nanaba’s ears shot up and she rose higher, as if her body was growing in size. An angry, threatening growl ripped from her chest, like the thundering engine of a motorcycle. It was consistent and loud enough to send the lycan back to its other two companions.

The rebellion sparked anger in them, though, and even the most docile one started to growl again. Their eyes filled with just as much anger at the audacity of a cynan attempting to challenge them.

Nanaba no longer felt vulnerable and scared. She felt powerful and fierce.

 _Come at me, I dare you,_ Nanaba spat angrily towards them. She licked her fangs and stood taller still, now tall enough to look down at them.

When the first one charged, the most hot-headed, Nanaba was ready for it. She knocked the paw away with her own and slammed her head against its chest. The lycan released a shrill whimper and flew back into a few trees, cracking them all nearly to falling.

The second lycan, further infuriated by its comrade’s defeat, shot forward and aimed its jaws right at Nanaba’s throat. In response Nanaba swept to the side, evaded the teeth enough that they sunk into her shoulder instead, and then used both teeth and claws to slice the lycan’s side. The lycan roared in pain and released its hold to jump back.

Blood trickled over Nanaba’s jaw and hot steam rose from the wounds on her shoulder. They wouldn’t heal for a while, not like normal wounds would.

The lycans seemed genuinely surprised that a cynan was fighting on equal grounds with them. This seemed to hype them up, though. They all shared a single look, the two that had attacked having recovered already.

The lycans spread out, moving in sync, and Nanaba knew that they would attack together. Attacking alone was enough for Nanaba to fight against, but all together, even if they were cynans and not lycans, would be almost impossible for Nanaba to survive alone.

As if sensing her distress, the trees and bushes rustled and then a group of cynans jumped into the fray to surround Nanaba and growl at the lycans.

 _You okay Nanaba?_ one of them asked, breathing harshly.

Nanaba released a breath of relief and shook her head slightly to flick the blood from the fur on her chin. _I am. How did you know?_

A third cynan, a female with lush brown fur, chuckled and scratched excitedly at the ground. _Adrian sensed it and called us to find you. Looks like we’re just in time – I smell blood._

 _I managed to get one of them_ , Nanaba said.

The brunette cynan chuckled. _That’s our Nanaba! Now let’s kill these bastards and bring their innards back to Adrian!_

Four cynans and three lycans stared-off, no one moving a muscle, all teeth bared in warning. The lycans seemed unsure if they should act, and they probably would have attacked, but a voice from the shadows cut through the tension like a knife.

 _Enough. We did not come here to play with our food._ Large, intense red eyes appeared between the trees. _Leave them for now. It isn’t time yet._

The lycans ears all folded back and they shared a look. Like teenagers asked to do the dishes, they all released a sigh and rolled their eyes.

 _Sure thing boss,_ the calmest of them said, and then they all turned and followed their hidden leader into the trees.

Nanaba and her group watched them in tense silence, and when it was sure that it wasn’t a trap, they turned and headed back to the city. As they ran Nanaba finally felt the throbbing in her shoulder.

She realized how lucky she was that they walked away from there alive.

XxX

When they entered the city they split up in order to keep people from noticing them, and Nanaba headed quickly to Adrian’s shop. She was in such a rush that she forgot to head for the back and instead walked right through the front door of the shop still in her cynan form. The shop barely had any customers, but on this day there just happened to be a teenage couple giggling at a small statue of a native woman with her breasts bared. When Nanaba burst through the door the teens fled in an instant, panicked and shocked.

“Nanaba!” Adrian stood from his chair quickly, causing it to tip over, and hurried to lock the door and announce the shop closed for now. Nanaba had changed back into human form and he quickly ushered her to the back room. He handed his jacket to her but she merely waved it away. Adrian was more than used to his cynans being naked in his presence.  “What happened?”

Nanaba headed to the upstairs apartment, Adrian following, and sat down in the lounge area. A hand covered her shoulder where multiple puncture wounds bled down her side. She flinched at the pain.

“A group of wolves caught me alone. I wasn’t expecting them at all. One of them managed to bite my shoulder.”

Adrian grabbed his first aid kid and quickly dabbed at the wound with a special anti-septic that he had made with herbs he grew behind the shop. It lessened the burn from the bite and helped the wound to heal quicker. It was still healing at a relatively human pace, though. Wounds inflicted by lycans often did.

As Adrian cleaned and covered her wound Nanaba glanced around the room and narrowed her eyes at the pile of blankets on the largest couch. “Where is she?”

Adrian glanced over his shoulder and then chuckled. “Calm down. I sent her to the local drug store. I’m low on bandages, and it seems I’ll need to stock up more if the future looks anything worse than this.” He finished bandaging Nanaba’s shoulder and then gave it a light pat to indicate so to the blonde.

“I haven’t had a chance to speak to her yet.”

“She should be back soon.”

Nanaba sighed and moved her injured shoulder lightly. It still stung, but Adrian’s medicine was starting to work already. Hopefully it would be completely healed by morning.

Adrian took a seat on the coffee table in front of Nanaba and reached out to gently hold her shoulders. “Was it a warning?” His wise eyes were clouded over in worry. If this was a warning then he knew they would have to assemble a small army much sooner than he had anticipated.

“No,” Nanaba replied. “They were just out for a walk, I think. Their leader was with them, but I didn’t get a good look at them. Actually, the leader was in the shadows the whole time and they only spoke up when my group arrived to back me up. After that the wolves left.” Nanaba sighed. “Including the leader, there’s four of them.”

“But I’m sure there are more.”

“Probably. I was only lucky today. I could have died.”

Adrian sucked a breath in and suddenly pulled Nanaba into his arms. He rested his chin atop her head and closed his eyes, silently thanking the greater powers for protecting Nanaba.

“Adrian?” Nanaba felt his old body trembling and she nervously patted his side.

“You’re like a daughter to me, Nanaba.” He tightened his hold, mindful of her injuries. “If you had died I would have been lost. You aren’t related to me, but I have raised you since you were just above my knee. I don’t think it’s safe to venture out alone anymore.”

Nanaba’s heart felt heavy with emotion. She understood how he felt. Adrian was the only parent she had ever known, and thinking of the suffering he would go through at her loss made Nanaba sniffle lightly. “I’m sorry,” she said. She returned the hug just as powerfully and buried her face against his shoulder.

All at once she felt ten years old again, crying into Adrian’s shoulder as he chastised her for not controlling her abilities properly and scaring the human kids away. He would always give her a stern lecture, but then afterwards he would make tea for them both and give Nanaba ice-cream after dinner.

It felt like one of those times, and Nanaba wouldn’t be surprised if he whipped his ice-cream tub out and offered a spoon to her later. In fact, she would welcome it.

Adrian chuckled lightly and finally released Nanaba from his hug. He looked into her young face and reached out to wipe a single tear from her cheek. “No more of this, okay? You will tell Ymir everything and she will help you. You must not keep this burden to yourself anymore.”

Nanaba smiled. “I think it’s about time I told her, too. She knows I’ve been hiding stuff and I don’t want to lose her trust. She’s close to finishing her training as well, so the timing is good.”

Adrian nodded. “I’d like for you and the others to leave the city for a bit. Take Ymir with you to complete her training.”

“But why?”

“I just have a feeling. I’ll call my brother at his resort and have him book a room for you and for Ymir. I assume her mate will come with too?”

Nanaba knew that arguing against him wouldn’t do a thing, so she nodded and watched Adrian flip through his personal phone book. He had a very large list of important contacts.

“Where will the others go?”

“I’ll send them somewhere else. Ymir isn’t ready to meet them yet.”

“Okay. Is it okay if I sleep for a bit and then head over to Ymir’s to tell her?”

Adrian glanced up from dialling on his house phone to smile affectionately at his adopted daughter. “Of course. Take my bed for the morning if you want.”

Nanaba nodded and rubbed at her eyes as she headed to his room. The healing would go quicker if her body was resting, and Nanaba felt emotionally drained. Adrian did that to her sometimes. She needed to recharge and then head right over to Ymir’s house to get them ready. She was sure they would be leaving the very next day.

XxX

“Okay… no I understand…. Yeah, that’s fine… Okay, it was nice to hear from you again… You too… Bye.” Krista removed the phone from her hear and placed it down onto the table. She didn’t spare it a glance and hurried into the bathroom to tell Ymir the news.

“Ymir?”

Ymir was in the shower, so she opened the glass door and turned her body to regard Krista standing at the doorway. She didn’t cease washing her hair, and continued to lather shampoo through her brown locks. “Hm?”

“Adrian just called. He said Nanaba will be over a little later. Something happened and she’s resting.”

Alarm bells rang and Ymir’s brows connected in concern. “Okay,” she said simply.

Krista could see the worry on her face and feel it through their connection. She frowned. “Is it something bad?” she asked.

Ymir shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I’ll ask her when she gets back. Maybe then she’ll finally explain things to me.” Ymir turned back around and washed the soap from her hair. She continued to wash herself, apparently done with the conversation.

Krista didn’t ask what Ymir meant. She simply shut the door and returned to the kitchen where she had been eating cereal and looking over the newspaper. It was spread out on the table beside her half eaten meal, and when Krista approached it she suddenly didn’t feel hungry anymore. She dumped the bowl into the sink and glanced over at the newspaper.

“ **String of grisly murders still baffles police. Could it be the work of vicious animals or a psychotic killer?”**

The headline glared up at Krista. She had been reading the article detailing the many awful murders that had been happening over the year. It set her at unease, but she quickly shrugged it off and tossed the newspaper away. There was nothing she could do to help; that was for the police to handle.

What Krista was more concerned with was Ymir and Nanaba. Ymir seemed both angry and worried for her blonde mentor, and Nanaba seemed to be full of secrets. Krista was sharp enough to pick up on the tension. She just hoped the two weren’t having a personal fight. They were like best friends, and Krista would be heartbroken if they threw that friendship away.

Krista wondered into the lounge and lingered on her laptop until a knock sounded at the door. Krista recognized it immediately. When she opened the door Nanaba stood there, towering over her and smiling softly. Despite the friendly smile she looked paler than usual.

“Nanaba! Come in. Are you okay? Adrian said that something happened.”

Nanaba stepped into the house and chuckled. “He did? Guess he was serious then. Where is Ymir? I have something important to tell you both.”

Krista’s smile faltered at the seriousness in Nanaba’s voice. “U-um she’s out back training on her own- Oh, here she comes. She must have sensed you.”

Ymir calmly walked into the lounge but paused when she noticed Nanaba. She gave the air a sniff and then her nose scrunched up. “I smell blood.”

Krista’s eyes widened in alarm.

Nanaba chuckled. “Yeah, nice observation. Can we sit?”

Ymir’s eyes narrowed but she took a seat on the couch. Krista joined her side and Nanaba gingerly sat down on one of the single couches. Ymir watched the careful way that she moved and immediately noticed the edge of a bandage peeking out of her shirt by her shoulder. “What happened?” Ymir asked, worried.

Nanaba waved her hand. “Please, don’t freak out. I was alone this morning and three lycans found me by coincidence. I fought them off and survived. I’m okay.”

“On your own?!” Ymir roared. “Why the fuck didn’t you call me?”

“Ymir, calm down.” Krista said sternly and put a hand on her knee. The touch calmed Ymir, but her eyes were still glaring fiercely. “What are lycans doing here?” Krista asked.

Nanaba released a large sigh. “That’s what I’m about to tell you.”

Ymir’s back straightened. She leaned forward and didn’t comment; instead she stared levelly at Nanaba and waited for the blonde to finally tell her what was going on.

“It started a while ago,” Nanaba began. “I’ve never really explained the whole situation between our species yet. See, lycans hate cynans, and vice versa. A year ago a pack of wolves moved into the city. I hoped that they would only pass through, but it seems that they’re here to stay.

“There has been a string of strange murders and Adrian is certain that it’s them. Nothing can mutilate like a lycan can. It’s just strange that the only victims seem to be human males.”

Krista’s eyes widened slightly. She remembered the article she had just been reading. “So then, the serial killer the news is going on about…?”

Nanaba nodded. “It’s them.”

Ymir inhaled sharply. “So what, you’ve been hiding this from me all this time? Why?”

“I didn’t want you involved,” Nanaba answered. “I was sincerely hoping that they would leave, but they aren’t and it’s apparent that they’re here to stay. They want this city for themselves. This means that two facts come into play.” Nanaba scooted closer and lifted her hand, two fingers raised. She ticked each off as she spoke.

“Fact one; they will recruit all lycans in the area if there are any. If they don’t want to join, they will drive them out, ignore them or kill them.

“Fact two; they will kill each and every cynan in the city until there are none left.”

“Just kill?” Ymir asked. “Why the fuck do they have this weird vendetta against people they don’t even fucking know?”

“Ymir, there’s an entire history behind their behaviour. I’d explain it but I think it would be best for you to hear it from Adrian. He explained it to me and the others.”

“The others?” Krista asked.

Nanaba grinned. “Did you think it was only the two of us? There are a few others around the city.” Nanaba placed a hand on her still aching shoulder. “The fact that I have no choice but to tell you means that there is no more time to wait and hope. Ymir, I will need your help to gather a group of strong cynans in order to fight. I can feel that a battle will happen soon, and if we aren’t ready we might as well slit each other’s throats.”

Ymir glanced down at her lap, deep in thought. She still didn’t quite understand why Nanaba was so nervous about the bastards wanting the city. Were they that powerful? Did they hate her kind that much? But why?

“So Adrian decided he wants us all out of the city for a while. After the fight this morning the lycans might find our scent and decide to end the battle that was interrupted. There’s a resort we can go to. Ymir, we will have to finish your training there as well, and introduce you to other cynans. We need to find a leader and then gather all available cynans into our group before the lycans strike.”

Ymir absorbed all of that in, and then she lightly shook her head. She was upset, sure, but she didn’t understand enough to start yelling like an idiot and acting like Nanaba was being a coward about this. She knew that Nanaba had gone through something at some point in her early life to feel so strongly about the lycans.

“When we get back,” Ymir said. “I want Adrian to explain the history of our kind to me.”

“And me too!” Krista added. The other two blinked when they remembered that she was there. Krista had been sitting so still that they had barely noticed her presence.

“Yeah, you too.” Ymir said with a smile. She bent down and brushed their noses, making Krista giggle.

Nanaba looked away. “So we’ll leave tomorrow morning. I’ll be going in my car and you can follow me. Pack tonight so we can leave at first light.”

“Oh wait, what about my interview? When will we be back?” Krista asked.

Nanaba shrugged. “By Wednesday? Thursday the latest if it still isn’t safe to return.”

Krista trusted Nanaba’s word so she nodded in satisfaction and stood to walk over to the tall blonde. “Thank you for finally telling us, and I’m glad that you’re okay.” She wrapped her arms around Nanaba’s neck and gave her a tight hug.

Nanaba chuckled and wrapped her arms around Krista’s tiny waist. She marvelled at how small Krista was and then she caught Ymir’s gaze and noticed the brunette’s arched eyebrow.

“Okay, enough physical touching or Ymir might maul my face.”

Krista laughed as she withdrew. “She would never, because she knows I wouldn’t forgive her if she did.” Krista leaned down and kissed Nanaba on the cheek. “You’re now a part of my family, so I care about you too.” She went over to Ymir and smoothed her frown with a finger. “Stop being jealous, you big softie.”

Ymir rolled her eyes. “Right.” She leaned in and claimed Krista’s lips for a long minute, doing so to purposefully show off to Nanaba. The tall blonde clearly got the message. After she managed to wrestle Ymir’s tongue out of her mouth, Krista turned to Nanaba, flushed, to ask a question.

“Nanaba, could I invite someone to go with?”

Nanaba grew thoughtful, and then she shrugged. “I suppose that’s okay.”

“Yay!”

Nanaba and Ymir grinned at Krista’s excitement

“Well, I think I should head out to tell the others. Remember to pack and don’t go out on your own.”

Ymir stood with Krista in her arms and walked Nanaba to the door, ignoring the smaller woman’s protests to be let down.

“Ymir!”

“Thank you for telling me,” Ymir said to Nanaba.

Nanaba paused in the open doorway to grin. “I was an ass for hiding it.”

“You were.”

“I hope you forgive me.”

“Let me down Ymir!”

“I do,” Ymir said. She reached out to squeeze Nanaba’s uninjured shoulder, and then she watched the blonde head down the steps towards her car. Ymir shut the door and kissed Krista to shut her up.

Krista pouted after. “Ymir, you meany.”

Ymir smirked. “Poor little Krista.” She flicked the blonde’s forehead and dodged the knee aimed for her crotch. “Would that have even connected if I hadn’t dodged? I think you’re too short.”

Krista groaned at the teasing and pulled a ball out from nowhere. She tossed it and before it even hit the floor at the far end of the house she yelled, “Fetch!” and Ymir bounded after it. By the time Ymir realized and yelled in anger, Krista was already cackling and dialling a familiar number. Ymir stormed into the room, yelling about how she wasn’t a household pet and it wasn’t fair for Krista to trick her.

“It isn’t my fault you instinctively chased after it,” Krista pointed out as she waited for the line to be picked up.

Ymir grumbled about something under her breath and then left the room to find something to eat in the kitchen. All the while she thought over what Nanaba had explained, and she wondered if everything would be okay.

Meanwhile Krista tapped her foot in impatience until the call was eventually answered.

“Hello?”

“Hey Petra,” Krista started. “How are you?”

“Oh, Krista! I’m great. A little tired, but great. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I have a suggestion. Ymir and I are going away for a week to a resort with a friend. Would you like to come with?”

Petra, on her end, slumped her shoulders and sighed. “I’d really love to, cuz, but I have to work on an assignment and Levi has been bugging me none-stop. I don’t think he would be impressed if I left him to go to a resort.”

“Is he having problems with Eren again?”

“You guessed it. So why are you going away out of nowhere?”

Krista considered explaining the situation but she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to, so she merely decided on the simplest answer. “It’s a cynan problem.”

Petra went silent, suddenly remembering her encounter with Ymir with vivid clarity, and then she cleared her throat. “I see, okay. Good luck with that. When will you be back?”

“Thursday.”

“Okay. I have to go, since Levi’s calling on the other line. You have fun with your lady and let me know if anything happens! I worry about you.”

Krista smiled. “Thanks, I will. Bye.”

“Bye!”

XxX

Petra sighed and answered the call from her brother. “Levi?”

“Where the hell were you? Taking a shit? I’ve been calling for the past five minutes.”

Petra rolled her eyes and stood to walk over to the window. “No, I was in the shower and then Krista called. What’s wrong?”

“That Eren is a real fucking moron. I don’t even know why I’m with him. He stinks and he’s noisy and he can’t keep his room clean to save his life.” Petra hummed to indicate she was listening, and sure enough Levi continued to rant.

She knew that despite his complaints he was weirdly attached to Eren, and he would never leave him. Again Petra sighed to herself, wondering when she would find her own special someone.

As Levi’s monotone voice droned on, Petra glanced up at the bright sky, hoping for her own fairy-tale to start. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Futa warning up ahead!

A blonde licked her lips, grinning. She ran them along a soft, silken thigh. The muscles beneath her quivered, and her eyes flashed upwards to catch the gaze trained on her. It was filled with heat and lust. The sight sent a shiver through her body.

With an even wider grin the blonde dipped forward and ran her tongue over the skin pressed to her cheek. From knee to hip, her tongue lavished the skin and tasted the tanginess of sweat. She enjoyed every taste and relished in the groans it caused.

“Please!” the other woman moaned, frustrated and dripping.

The blonde chuckled and finally ceased her teasing kisses to move along the smaller woman’s body.

“Impatient, are we?”

A groan left parted, pink lips, and the sound was silenced by other lips pressing to them. The blonde enjoyed the moan that filled her mouth and pressed her body to the slick one beneath her. An ache began in her lower regions; a throbbing that excited itself even more into hardening further.

The blonde groaned this time and kissed harder, lips and tongues mercilessly moving together. She reached down between them and wrapped a hand around her throbbing member. It was hot and hard to the touch, and even though it was her own hand, the sensation of a tight grip caused her hips to involuntarily jerk.

The smaller of the two felt the movement and giggled into her lover’s mouth. She copied the blonde’s movement and ran a hand down her body, over her firm breasts, hard abdomen muscles and finally to the hardness between her legs. One stroke was all it took for the blonde to release the kiss in order to growl.

Eyes flashed, teeth extended and then clamped down on tender flesh. The blonde shut her eyes and worried that she had hurt the smaller woman, but relaxed when all she was met with was a desperate moan.

A second after biting the blonde felt a strong feeling wash over her, and suddenly she felt desperate too. Their souls began to merge, becoming one and remaining separate at the same time. She felt the small hand stroking her length, and at the same time she felt the phantom sensation of teeth lodged in her shoulder.

It was peculiar—something she had never felt before. A deep, primal instinct told her all that she needed to know. This was binding. This was how cynans connected on a deeply intimate level. Biting allowed for physical connection and proof of trust. It synced their hearts and their minds.

The blonde had never expected it to feel so wonderful. With a growl that rippled right through them, she mentally urged the smaller woman to situate the tool in her hand.

The desire was met, and the blonde thrust in the moment she could. Rushes of heat consumed her and the blonde squeezed her eyes shut. Both sensations of filling and being filled joined the heat. The one receiving the bite arced upwards, lips parted in a silent moan of pleasure.

The blonde wasted no time and began to urgently thrust her hips. Instincts and desires took over. Scents of their bodies, of their thoughts and feelings filled the blonde’s nostrils and her chest began to swell. She growled with each thrust—not in anger, but in excitement, in joy.

The body beneath her moved upwards in time. The smaller woman enjoyed being filled and with a sudden burst of utter strength, tipped them over so that she was on top.

Heavy breaths entered the air when the bite ended. However, the connection remained. The blonde’s lips were stained with blood but she licked at it, eyes boring into the haughty ones above her. She loved the way those brown eyes followed the movement of her tongue.

“I love you,” the blonde gasped.

Hips rocked together, up and down, left to right. The smaller woman let her head tilt back when large hands covered her breasts. She worked her hips as hard as she could, feeling the sensations both ways too. It was both confusing and intoxicating. One moment she felt as if she was the one impaling, but then the next moment she felt like the one being impaled.

Nothing had ever come close to this, and the smaller woman was in absolute ecstasy.

She covered the hands over her breasts and let loose a string of loud, hot moans. Unable to keep it to herself any longer, she began to moan her lovers name with unbridled passion.

“Nanaba!” she moaned loudly. “Nanaba!”

Nanaba woke with a start. Her chest heaved and she slapped a hand over her chest to clutch at her damp shirt. Immediately she checked inside of her pants in a panic, and was relieved to see no throbbing organ between her legs.

For a long while she stared up at the ceiling with her brows connected, heart pounding and body thrumming with a sensation she had never really expected to feel before.

Nanaba, for the first time in her life, was aroused.

A light blush dusted over her pale cheeks and she angrily sat up to attempt to wipe it away. What was that? A sex dream about binding with someone?

The girl in her dream was a stranger. Nanaba had never met her, though a dull ache began in her chest and she coughed lightly to relieve herself of it.

“Shit,” Nanaba cursed softly. She would need to change her underwear.

Adrian’s room, luckily, connected to the bathroom. It seemed that the old man had decided to sleep in the lounge while Nanaba took his bed. Nanaba was glad, and with a strong sigh Nanaba lifted herself from the warm mattress and padded with bare feet out into the hallway to retrieve a towel from the cupboard there. Unfortunately it seemed someone else was awake, and Nanaba was startled when a voice reached her ears.

“I heard some weird noises,” a young girl said.

Nanaba stiffened and cursed the very fact that she had ever decided to save that damn kid. “No you didn’t,” she replied calmly.

The girl, a redhead, held her laugh back and instead leaned against the cold wall. “Could’ve sworn I heard some moaning. You got someone in that room with you?”

Nanaba’s head shot up and she looked to the redhead with hard eyes and pink cheeks. “I would never do something like that in Adrian’s house!” she yelled in a soft whisper. Her anger dimmed some, but she kept glaring. “Besides, I can’t stomach the idea of relations without a true partner.”

The redhead crossed her arms over her chest. Despite being so much younger, she was almost as tall as Nanaba. “Oh come on, you know a lot of us can’t wait that long. I won’t make fun of you.”

Nanaba shook her head and calmly walked over towards the kid. “Listen, even if I do have someone in there, it’s none of your business. We don’t know each other. I just saved your life.”

The redhead seemed to remember, so she schooled her expression and deflated from the teasing she was about to give. “I guess. I’m sorry.”

Nanaba sighed and lifted a hand to touch the scars on her body. “How do you feel? Has everything healed properly?”

“Yup! Adrian let me shift yesterday. I didn’t tear anything when I did, so it seems I’m okay. I never knew that those bastards could bite so hard.” She winced at remembering and ran a hand over the ugly scars on her arm.

“Next time run if you smell them near. What you did was stupid. If I hadn’t been there, then you would have been dead now.”

The redhead sobered up completely and slapped a fist to her heart. She straightened in respect and set her shoulders back firmly. Looking up into Nanaba’s blue eyes, the redhead swallowed and nodded.

“I know. Thank you. I owe everything to you and Adrian. From now on I’ll do whatever you need of me.”

Nanaba relaxed and threw the towel in her hand over her shoulder. She chuckled. “No need to. I didn’t save you to get a reward.”

The redhead deflated. “No, really! I’ve been thinking about this for a full day. I have nowhere else to go.” Her eyes dropped to the floor and her shoulders sagged forward. “I mean, my family kicked me out and I don’t have anyone. I’d like to at least be useful to _someone_.”

Suddenly a thought hit Nanaba, and she grinned. “Well then, kid, I have a great idea of how you can be useful.”

The redhead looked up, mouth stretched in a grin. “Really?!”

Nanaba lightly patted her chest and then cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah. Now get back to sleep. I need you bright eyed and bushy tailed later today.”

“I was trying but Adrian snores really loud.”

Nanaba laughed this time, though quietly. “Sleep in his bed. I’m heading out for a run after I shower.”

“ _After?”_

At this Nanaba blushed. She knew that Raiden could smell the arousal on her, which had at least died down to almost nothing. Sweat still clung heavily to her, as did her clothes.

With an embarrassed wave Nanaba turned and headed for the bathroom. “None of your business!” she threw over her shoulder.

The redhead watched her go with a knowing grin.

XxX

Hours later, after showering and making sure that the young redhead was asleep, Nanaba made her way out into the early morning light and followed her usual route out of the city. She was in the mood to run, especially after that disturbing dream.

Nanaba was nervous about its meaning. She had never had a dream like that before—had never felt attracted to anyone before. Who was the woman in her dream?

A tingle ran down the length of Nanaba’s spine and she snorted loudly to focus. Her padded feet thudded on the soil as she ran, nails digging in and bringing dirt up behind her. A blonde tail swished behind her and Nanaba kept her ears pressed firmly to her head.

_Just what the hell did that dream mean?_

There was no way that it meant what Nanaba thought it meant. _I’d never sleep with anyone unless she’s the one. The woman from my dreams though, she…. She and I connected…_ Nanaba swallowed.

_No. It’s impossible. There’s no way that my mate is somewhere here. I mean, there are billions of people in the world! Ymir finding Krista was truly luck on their part. It isn’t that easy._

Nanaba shook her large head and growled in aggravation. So distracted was she that she did not hear the scuff to her right and crashed right into a moving body. The blonde released a strangled whimper in surprise and crashed down onto the ground with whatever she had crashed into. A second after landing on her back Nanaba was up, legs parted and tense, hackles raised and lips pulled over her teeth. She growled in warning.

_Holy shit Nanaba, calm the fuck down!_

Nanaba immediately relaxed and let her ears stand at attention. _Ymir! What are you doing here?_

Ymir, in her cynan form, clambered to her feet and shook the sand and leaves from her fur. She sent a droll look over to her friend. _A morning run, what else? What had you so distracted, anyway?_

Nanaba bowed her head low and kicked at the ground. Her tail swished once, and then she scoffed at the floor and turned, gearing to run again. She did not wait for Ymir, or answer, and started sprinting further through the trees.

Ymir followed her. _You smell upset. What’s wrong?_ The brunette kept to her side. Neither was running too fast.

 _Just a dream,_ Nanaba explained. _It’s nothing._

_If it was just a dream then you wouldn’t have been so out of it to run right into me. I called out to you._

Nanaba turned to give Ymir a look. _You called me?_

_Yup. Like, three times._

Nanaba sighed and licked her teeth. _I didn’t hear you, I’m sorry._

_You smell weird._

_It’s none of your business._

_No really, you smell really fucking weird._

Nanaba stopped running suddenly and stared right into Ymir’s confused eyes. _I said it was just a dream._

 _Who am I smelling on you?_ Ymir was nothing more than curious, and a tad bit worried. Had something happened with someone? Was that what had upset Nanaba?

 _No…_ Nanaba sighed. She realized that Ymir probably smelt the young cynan on her. She couldn’t mention her right now. Nanaba didn’t want to remind Ymir of her; though the brunette had probably already pinpointed the origin of the scent.

 _Okay, whatever,_ Ymir finally uttered. She shrugged her large shoulders and then flicked her tail. _Just watch where you run, alright? Seeing you so out of it is weirding me out._

Sensing an opportunity to turn the focus of the conversation around, Nanaba grinned as much as she could with her wide mouth and trotted over to her fellow cynan.

_Oh? Do I sense some concern?_

Ymir’s eyes narrowed and she bared her teeth. _Who else will teach me cynan shit?_

Nanaba chuckled and then passed by Ymir, rubbing shoulders with her. It was a gesture of affection and something that Nanaba rarely did. She felt close with Ymir, and though she did not want to discuss the dream with her, she felt that in time she would be close enough to share anything with her. Though she did know plenty more cynans, none of them had really stuck around long enough for her to bond with. Most of the time Nanaba simply hadn’t had the time or care, either.

Ymir was her first real friend.

_Are you and Krista packed?_

Ymir recovered from her sudden embarrassment and collapsed to the ground. Dust swirled around her large body.

_Yeah. What all are we gonna do there, anyway?_

_I want to teach you how to catch large prey. Where we are going has them, and it’s a place where our kind is welcome. I also want to introduce you to another cynan,_ she reminded. At Ymir’s sudden stillness Nanaba went over to her and nudged her shoulder with her nose. _Just one. Don’t worry._

Ymir grumbled deeply in her chest. _Not like I care how many_.

_Since I’m driving alone I’ll drive in front, if that’s okay._

Ymir sat up. _Why do you want to drive alone, though? It would be easier if we just went in my car._

_I just have to. Trust me._

_But it would save money, too. Petrol is expensive these days. You’re doing this for me, so at least let me goddamn drive you there._

Nanaba released a puff of air in a laugh and sat down beside Ymir. She playfully slapped her with her tail. _It sounds like you can’t go without my company._

Ymir immediately rolled her eyes. _Keep dreaming._

_I mean it though. I need to drive alone._

_But—_

_Ymir, I’m not going to argue. I appreciate the sentiment, but my decision is final. It’s really not that far. We’ll be there in no time._

Nanaba stood and caught the familiar scent of a cynan. She decided to run in the opposite direction. Her head was still filled with scandalous thoughts, and she wanted to exhaust herself by running.

Ymir only watched her go, eyes narrowed in suspicion. _Just what are you planning?_


	6. Chapter 6

Big Bang’s “Fantastic Baby” blasted through the speakers as Nanaba’s car hummed over the highway. In the driver’s seat, remaining as patient as she could, was Nanaba. She kept her grip on the steering wheel tight, but not too tight. Beside her, in the passenger seat, a redhead bobbed her head along to the Korean song.

Nanaba glanced into her rear-view mirror at the car tailing hers, and sighed. Ymir had a mischievous look on her face from what Nanaba could see, and Krista was either mightily upset, or very embarrassed. Turning her eyes back to the road, Nanaba cringed when the redhead’s arm swung around wildly and nearly smacked her in the face. With a grunt she slapped the radio off and bathed in the silence that followed.

The redhead groaned in disdain.

“Nanaba!”

“Don’t Nanaba me,” the blonde snapped. “Raiden, you’re a goddamn adult now. Act like it.”

Raiden’s eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not an adult. I’m still just a kid.”

Nanaba rolled her eyes. “Well you might as well be with all that pouting.”

“Why are you so damn serious all the time? I thought this trip would be fun!”

Nanaba’s jaw clenched and Raiden saw the muscles bunching up. She frowned. “Because,” Nanaba said. “We are leaving the city because of a lycan attack. This isn’t a fun vacation. It’s to finish Ymir’s training, with the safety of our kind. Don’t take the lycans so lightly.”

Raiden did not like that Nanaba was right, so she slumped down in her seat and put her feet up on the dashboard.

“Don’t put your feet on there!” Nanaba scolded.

Raiden sighed moodily and dropped her feet. “Sure thing, _mom._ ”

Nanaba’s eyebrow ticked. Why did this kid have to be so difficult? “I swear I will turn this car around!”

Raiden chuckled. “Now you really sound like my mom.”

“Can you please…?” Nanaba paused and pressed her fingers to her temple. She was starting to get a headache. The dream from this morning had put her in a strange mood, and then seeing Ymir on her run had dampened it further. Not by anything Ymir had done, though. “Just stop calling me your mother.”

“Can I call you my mentor?”

Nanaba sighed deeply. “I’m just a fellow cynan, that’s it.”

“Just Nanaba then?”

“Yes.”

“Not even a nickname, like Nana?”

“No.”

“Na-chan?”

“Raiden, I swear to god.”

Raiden laughed loudly. “Sorry, just messing with you. Stop being such a hardass!” The redhead pulled her seatbelt aside to lean over and playfully shove Nanaba’s shoulder. “Lighten up, will ya? Even though the reasons are pretty crappy, we can still make this trip fun. It looks like you need it.”

Nanaba didn’t respond and kept her eyes glued to the road. They had been driving for over an hour, and she was sure that their destination was close. “Fine,” she said after a moment of silence. “I’ll try to have fun if you promise to behave.”

Raiden performed a salute. “I swear to you that I’ll behave.”

“Good. Do you remember the plan?”

Raiden tapped a finger against her chin, thinking, and then nodded. “I do. I stay out of the way until I’m needed.”

“And what are you needed for?”

“Introducing a new cynan to another cynan besides you.”

“And how will you go about that?”

“By standing absolutely still and letting the new cynan calmly gauge the situation.”

Nanaba nodded, pleased. “You remembered that verbatim, I’m impressed.”

Raiden grinned in happiness at the compliment, blushing lightly. She scratched her cheek, shrugging. “Nah, it was easy to remember.”

“We’re almost there,” the blonde informed. Ahead of them a sign stretched over the road in an arc, welcoming newcomers to the resort the rested beyond. The road itself lead solely to the place, since this was special land founded by cynan ancestors and handed down so that it could remain a safe sanctuary for their kin—especially in times when the lycan threat revealed itself.

“This place is pretty far out,” Raiden commented. She glanced in the mirror to the car behind them, but thought better of questioning Nanaba on the people inside. The blonde hadn’t been that forthcoming with information yet, and she had assured that Raiden would get to meet them when the time came. Raiden thought that Nanaba acted too seriously, but didn’t press her on the matter.

They eventually made it to a large gate, flanked by high, thick walls that stretched all around the entire resort. Raiden’s eyes travelled the length of it. She didn’t need to ask why the walls had been erected. It was pretty obvious already.

A guard by the gate approached the car. It was a woman, standing immensely tall at over six feet, it appeared. She had a black tank top on, revealing bronze shoulders and rippling muscles. Long, white hair, tied at the base of her neck swished as she strode. Her eyes seemed a dark shade of green, and her gaze was trained on them like a razor blade. Raiden felt herself flush as she watched the attractive woman saunter over to the car.

When the woman reached them Nanaba had already climbed out of the car. She and the woman had a silent stare down, and then they suddenly clasped hands and hugged tightly.

“Haven’t seen your pale ass in years,” the woman said. Her voice was deep and husky, like she smoked too often and barely spoke unless required too. It was heavy and molten, and Raiden wished the woman would talk forever.

“The same for you, Maeve.”

“Adrian called us already. It’s just procedure to check before we let any car in.”

Nanaba smiled, and it reached her eyes. “I appreciate you walking out to us in the heat. I’m here with a couple of friends. We should leave before the end of the week.”

Maeve seemed displeased. Raiden watched the crease form between her thin brows, and then the ripple of her jaw muscles as she clenched her teeth.

“Stay longer! I’d love to catch a drink with you sometime.”

Nanaba waved her hand. “I don’t drink anymore. I’m here for business, not pleasure.”

Maeve sighed, but her irritation faded and she relaxed into an easy grin. “The girls won’t stop asking about you. Remember to visit sometime.”

“I will, I promise.” Nanaba smiled again, though this time more strained, and hopped back into her car. “Send your wife and daughters my love.”

Maeve nodded once and then headed over to the gate to open the heavy iron doors. They creaked as they always did, and then thudded against the wall after being pushed.

“Enjoy your stay!” Maeve said with a wave. She watched Nanaba drive through, caught a sight of a young redhead ogling her, and laughed. A second car followed Nanaba’s in, and Maeve lifted an eyebrow when burning brown eyes sent a chilling glare her way. She also caught another young girl ogling her, though this one was blonde. Maeve realized the situation, and laughed in amusement to herself as she pulled the gates shut.

“Hot damn, I still have it,” she said with a smirk.

XxX

The driveway to the reception building comprised solely of gravel. It crunched loudly underneath their tires, and to Nanaba’s surprise the sensation calmed Raiden enough that she remained slumped in her seat, quiet.

They parked as close as they could, and then Nanaba spared a nervous glance towards Ymir. Luckily her car windows were tinted, so Ymir couldn’t see Raiden in Nanaba’s car. But the blonde worried that the moment she opened her door Ymir would catch her scent.

“Stay here while I check us in,” Nanaba said. She unclipped her seatbelt and then turned fully to face the teen. “Do not leave the car until I come back to get you.”

Raiden nodded, mouth set in displeasure. Thankfully she made no move to protest.

“Good.”

Nanaba quickly climbed out of her car and hurried to where Ymir and Krista were already by the stairs leading into the building.

“Hey Nanaba!” Krista greeted. “How was the ride?”

“Lonely,” Nanaba responded with a grin. She ignored Ymir’s hard stare. “Once we get our rooms you can have the afternoon to mess around. Tonight, Ymir, I need you to meet up with me and then we can head out into the nearby forest to hunt.”

Ymir shrugged. “Whatever. Let’s go in then.”

They all mounted the steps and then pushed past the glass doors. Inside it was colder, thanks to air conditioning. The floor comprised of tiles, all white besides the black squires in their centres. The walls were a similar shade of white, while the reception desk consisted of dark wood. Three people tended the reception, one lazily flipping through a magazine, one hastily conversing on a telephone and the other straightening upon noticing their arrival.

“Hi! How may I help?” he chirped.

Nanaba went over to the man and confirmed their rooms. She was given two separate keys, and then turned to Ymir and Krista when everything was done.

“Here,” she handed a key to them. “Your room. You can head there now and bring your bags up later.”

Nanaba pocketed her own key and started for the doors, but was stopped by Ymir grabbing onto her sleeve.

“Where are you going?”

Nanaba’s eyes lowered to the floor, but she smiled lightly. “Just to speak to someone. Don’t look so suspicious.”

Ymir let her go, and then watched with narrowed eyes as her friend left the building. “She’s up to something,” she told her lover.

Krista rolled her eyes and poked Ymir’s stomach. “Don’t be such a grouch, Ymir. What Nanaba does is her business. Let’s check our room out and cuddle before you have to go.”

Ymir reluctantly acquiesced and allowed the blonde to drag out of the reception area, down a hall towards a staircase. The receptionist had informed them that their room was on the second floor, so they headed upwards and then found their specific room.

2-C.

The door swung open easily, but before Krista could step through she was suddenly hoisted into long arms, squealing.

“Ymir!”

Ymir laughed and carried her mate through the door. She kicked the door shut behind them. Once inside the room, Ymir headed for the large bed and then tossed Krista down onto it. Grinning, she joined her girlfriend on her back and then kissed her frown away.

“What do you think of the room?”

Krista, relenting on Ymir’s usual head-butt for now, sat up to look around the room. “I like it. It has a warm feel to it, plus this bed is all silky and soft. I think I’ll like it here.”

Ymir ran a finger along the silk, barely registering the pleasurable sensation. Thoughts plagued her mind, and when she sighed deeply Krista turned curiously towards her.

“What’s up?” Krista asked.

Ymir shrugged and collapsed onto the bed. “Dunno,” she said. She was still miffed about Nanaba’s odd behaviour, and was already preparing what she would say to her friend. Seriously, did she have to act so sneaky? Ymir was also concerned. Nanaba seemed more stressed than usual. Their morning run-in was proof. “I’m just bothered by Nanaba’s behaviour,” Ymir finally admitted.

Krista crawled closer to her and rested down on Ymir’s chest. She pressed a hand to her clothed chest, enjoying the warmth. “You really care about her, don’t you?”

Ymir snorted. “Whatever.”

“You can ‘whatever’ all you want. I can see that she’s become like a friend to you. Plus, I’m in your head, remember? I can feel what you feel. What happened this morning with her? You left so suddenly and you wouldn’t tell me when you got back.”

Ymir wrapped her arms around Krista’s small form. “Nothing, really. She just happened to be in the same area, but she was so out of it. She even ran right into me.”

Krista hummed. “Love troubles, maybe?”

Ymir immediately dismissed the thought. “No, I don’t smell that on her. She seems too sad for that.”

“Maybe we should try to set her up with someone.” Krista suggested. “Like Petra. I think they’d like each other.”

At this Ymir had to laugh. “Oh please. Did you see how she reacted to me? There’s no way that cousin of yours would get hot with a weredog.”

Krista pouted, but relented with a shrug. She supposed that Ymir was right. At least Petra didn’t seem too disturbed. The orange-blonde was still willing to talk, at least.

“Then let’s just be there for her as friends. She doesn’t have anyone else.”

Ymir grew tired of their solemn conversation and rolled over so that Krista was below her. She grinned naughtily when the blonde squeaked in surprise and then pouted.

“I hate it when you suddenly do that.”

“You know you love it,” Ymir cooed. She leaned down and brushed their lips. “You know you love me.” Krista giggled against her lips, and then they kissed. It wasn’t hot and rushed, but it sent a usual passionate emotion through their bodies that started by their toes, reverberated in their hearts and shot down to their fingers.

“I do,” Krista said after pulling away. “I love you very much.”

Ymir couldn’t help but grin and rub their noses together. Her teeth were out, as well as her dog ears and tail. Said tail was swishing about in content. Ymir’s glowing eyes found Krista’s, and then they softened.

“Will you be alright when I’m with Nanaba later?”

Krista enjoyed the feelings coursing through her from Ymir, and reached out to caress the freckles splashed on her cheeks. “Uh-huh. I think I’ll go out and check the pools. Apparently they have heated pools here. Could we swim together when you aren’t training?”

Ymir chuckled. “We can do whatever you want.”

XxX

Later on, with Ymir gone to train with Nanaba, Krista decided to have a look at the pools as she had told Ymir that she would. Before leaving she slipped her two-piece bikini on just in case, and left her room. The walk towards the pool area was peaceful. A few people walked by, and Krista stared at them with curiosity. So far she had only really seen women, and most of them reminded her of the guard they had seen earlier.

The thought made Krista chuckle to herself. She hadn’t been able to stop herself from giving that guard an appreciative look, and of course Ymir had sensed it. The brunette was more jealous than she let on, but she couldn’t hide it from the only person that could get into her head.

Besides, if she ever admired other women it was usually done by admiring what features they shared with Ymir. But no one could ever really compare.

The resort really was beautiful, and one could even call it a spa. The cement pathway that led Krista towards the pools was warm underneath her bare feet. Small animals scurried around the rocks and long grass, and Krista finally made it by the pools.

Beautiful, blue light illuminated the area as the pool lights shone upwards. There were a few people currently swimming in the warm pool, which was the largest—a family of three, a lone man and then a group of teenagers. Some of them glanced up upon Krista’s arrival, but looked away when they lost interest. Krista smiled their way anyway, and found a bench to take a seat and enjoy the atmosphere.

There was a low din of noise, both from various noisy insects and from the people enjoying the warm water. Splashes resounded every now and then when a teen jumped in, or when someone was pushed. Krista could have sworn that she saw a sign banning any splashing and rough behaviour, but felt no need to get up to inform them.

She watched the teens swim and felt the warmth radiate from the pool to her skin. It really was nice, and although they were here due to a dangerous threat, Krista couldn’t help but feel like this would do them all some good. Not that she needed a break, really. It was Nanaba and Ymir that did. Those two were too serious sometimes, and Krista hated to see them so tense. Hopefully they would finish their training soon, so that they could enjoy the last of their days here.

“May I take a seat?” a voice spoke up beside her.

Krista’s head snapped towards the voice and she startled slightly when she caught sight of familiar, glowing golden eyes. A shiver of fear rocked down her spine and she shot a quick glance at the people in the pools. Would they help if she called for it?

“S-sure!” Krista exclaimed nervously. She tightened her grip on the towel in her hands and watched the stranger slump down into the spot beside her. There was no threatening aura, but Krista was certain that this was the shifter she had seen that one afternoon. The eyes were exactly the same, not to mention the hair…

“You okay?” the person asked.

Krista swallowed. “Y-yeah, I’m fine.”

“You look pale.”

“I’m fine, really.”

The person sighed, apparently more concerned than Krista would like. Before the blonde could decide to bolt, however, a calm chuckle broke through her panic.

“You smell really nice,” the stranger admitted, sniffing the air. “Is that…? No way!” Suddenly Krista’s personal space was invaded, and she got a good view of golden eyes up close. “You’re a human that managed to bind with one of us?”

Krista didn’t relax. “Um… I’m sorry, but I don’t know you, and…”

“Oh, shit.” The person immediately pulled away and laughed nervously. “I’m so sorry. I’m so stupid. I wasn’t supposed to come out, you see. But I smelt you and I followed you out here.” The person saw Krista pale and quickly waved their hands. “Not in a creepy way! My name is Raiden.” She held her hand out, smiling as kindly as she could. Krista did not take her hand.

“You’re a cynan?” Krista asked, eyes narrowed.

“I am.”

“And you’re the one that showed up by my house when I was out in the garden?”

Raiden’s abnormally golden eyes widened. “You remember that? I was just following some scents and found you. Is that why you think I’m going to eat you or something? I can smell your fear.”

Krista took a deep breath, relaxing finally. “You aren’t a threat then?”

“God no!” Raiden exclaimed, grimacing. “Nanaba saved my life, and she brought me with. I’m to be introduced to Ymir soon. I had no idea that Ymir was this lucky, though. It’s strange that you’re a human.” Raiden leaned in again, but at least did not invade Krista’s personal bubble.

“Well, that’s how life works. It’s unexpected.”

“Yup! Look, I’m sorry that I scared you. I’m just a stupid kid that followed a pretty girl out to a public pool. Can we maybe start over?”

The pleading in her eyes made Krista relax further and sigh. Her panic had subsided, and she was certain that no lies had been told to her yet. With a nod she relented, and watched in confusion as Raiden jumped up from the bench and strode away into the darkness. A few seconds later she emerged, looked around as if she hadn’t seen the place before, and then spotted Krista and waltz back over.

“Hi!” she exclaimed with a large, amused grin. “Mind if I sit? My name is Raiden Shizuku!” she held her hand out and was pleased when Krista took it this time.

The blonde smiled in amusement and couldn’t help but giggle. “Sure, have a seat. I’m Krista.”

“Wow, that’s a pretty name. It suits you.”

Krista had to pull her hand from Raiden’s, and gave the redhead a long stare. “How old are you?”

Raiden blinked, confused by the question. “Eighteen, why?”

Krista laughed. “Ah, I see. Still a kid.”

Raiden seemed more amused than anything. “Yup!”

“That was an amusing display.”

“I like to make pretty girls laugh.”

And she did, because Krista laughed again, a hand pressed to her mouth to supress it. “So what did Nanaba save you from?”

“Oh I was attacked by a lycan. Wanna see the scars? They hurt like hell.” She didn’t wait for a response and pulled her shirt off to reveal her bronzed, bikini-clad torso. Krista didn’t have time to blush, because she noticed the nasty, silver scars along Raiden’s arm and immediately reached out to touch them.

“A lycan did this? But don’t cynan’s heal really quickly?”

“Yeah but lycan claws scar. It’s the only thing that our bodies can’t heal properly from.”

Krista grew immensely concerned. Were lycans really this strong? What if they attacked Ymir? Would she able to survive it? Krista couldn’t help the thoughts that suddenly plagued her and she unconsciously called out for her lover to return to her. When she realized that she had just sent out an urgent call, she could mentally feel the pounding of Ymir’s powerful footsteps as she ran to her.

“Uh, Raiden?”

Raiden straightened. “Yeah?”

“How much trouble will you be in?”

Raiden tilted her head to the side, like a confused puppy. “Why?”

XxX

Ymir’s entire body remained rigid as she crouched down low behind a collection of bushes. Her breaths came out as short, hot pants and her eyes remained riveted on the prey before her.

 _Remain calm, take deep breaths,_ Nanaba advised her. _When you feel ready, attack. Aim for the neck and make it as quick a kill as possible. Don’t spook it._

Ymir responded by slapping her tail against Nanaba’s leg, as the blonde cynan was beside her, and then did as she was told. She kept her eyes glued to the large deer calmly grazing a few paces ahead.

 _What do we do with the kill?_ Ymir asked before she launched her attack.

 _Eat it,_ Nanaba responded.

Ymir didn’t grimace. The thought wasn’t as repulsive anymore, and now that she was hungry since Nanaba had starved her, she was sure that she would be able to eat raw meat. It wasn’t that it tasted badly to her, it was just that she struggled with her human way of thinking.

 _Whenever you’re ready, but he looks ready to leave,_ Nanaba warned.

Ymir released a short breath, and then she made her move and shot out of the cover of the bushes. The deer’s head snapped up at the sound of large feet slapping against the ground, and startled. He wasn’t in time, and although he made a swing with his antlers in defence, Ymir’s claws sliced into the animal’s shoulders, toppling them both over. The brown-haired weredog sunk her teeth into the deer’s neck and then snapped it swiftly, ensuring a painless death.

It went by so smoothly and so quickly that Nanaba was genuinely surprised. She trotted out from where she had watched and pounced on Ymir’s form when she was close enough.

_That was a superb skill! I didn’t expect you to get it on your first try._

Ymir would have smirked had her mouth not been so long. Instead she rubbed her head against Nanaba’s shoulder and then barked once.

_Hell yeah! Told you that I’d get it. I dunno why but I just followed instincts._

_Starving you was a good idea then. So, are you willing to share or do you want to hunt some more before?_

Ymir stood, shaking the grass and sand from her fur, and licked her lips. She was about to suggest that they hunt something more dangerous, like a wild cat or something, but then suddenly went rigid. The hairs on her spine shot up, and within the blink of an eye she was already running, her kill long forgotten.

 _Ymir?!_ Nanaba raced after her, concerned and panicked. _Where are you going?!_

Ymir didn’t respond. She ran so fast that for the first time Nanaba struggled to keep up. Ymir suddenly seemed much larger, and Nanaba almost shrunk away at the sudden intense fury washing off of her. The only logical guess was that something had happened to Krista. Nothing else would have made Ymir react like this. Had the blonde met the other cynans? Maybe they had smelt Ymir on her, and being curious at the fact that she’s a human, acted too friendly or too forward?

Whatever it was, Nanaba was sure that they would get there within seconds to see.

They shot past the pools, covered by the night’s darkness. No one noticed them, and if they did it was by either hearing their footfalls, or by catching their scent.

 _Ymir! Where are you going?_ the blonde tried again and just as before she received no response.

They rounded some trees, and then a heavy, furious growl suddenly ripped from Ymir’s chest and Nanaba’s spine tingled unpleasantly. Her own hairs were standing on end, and when she finally caught sight of Krista ahead of them, another sight made panic fill her gut.

Krista stood with Raiden, looking up at the tall redhead. Unfortunately Krista didn’t notice and didn’t call out to Ymir to cease her worries, and Nanaba couldn’t stop her in time. Ymir, acting on instinct and her need to protect her mate, slammed into Raiden with as much force as she could. All that she could smell was a stranger cynan and it made her blood boil.

The redhead flew into the air, yelling out in surprise. Her body morphed on its own accord and the redhead landed painfully on her paws before she slipped and landed on her back. In order to dodge snapping jaws she had to roll to the side, and then she scrambled to her feet. Due to instinct she bared her teeth and allowed an angry growl to rip from her chest. She realized her mistake too late, and felt a sharp spike of pain as a large, heavy paw slapped her right in the face. Claws dug into her muzzle, slicing her nose and lips.

The young cynan howled and lashed out instinctively. She crashed into Ymir, and the two of them turned into two moving bodies, jaws snapping and claws scratching. Blood flew through the air as they fought, growls and howls of pain following soon after. Dust flew up around them, and just as it was about to get worse, a blonde cynan jumped into the fray.

Nanaba head-butted Ymir as hard as she could and then grabbed Raiden by the scruff of her neck. Using her strength, she threw Raiden to the side, and then blocked her from Ymir with her body and uttered a loud, ear-splitting growl.

 _Calm the fuck down!_ Nanaba yelled. She tried to catch Ymir’s eyes, but she was rabid. The brunette was already up and darting for Raiden again. But then a flash of white flew by Nanaba’s eyes and Ymir cried out like a wounded puppy when she was flipped right over onto her back and pinned there by a large, heavy body.

 _Nanaba, what is happening here?_ It was a large white cynan with beautiful, vibrant green eyes. The hair along her neck was longer than usual, resembling a thick lion’s mane.

 _Maeve!_ Nanaba exclaimed in relief. _Raiden didn’t listen and snuck out. I’m not sure what triggered Ymir, but she suddenly ran here and then attacked Raiden without a thought._

Maeve snorted and rolled her eyes. She felt Ymir struggle underneath her and leaned down to clamp her sharp teeth over an ear. Ymir howled.

 _Will you cease your attack on an innocent teenager?_ Maeve asked sternly.

Ymir struggled further, angry beyond measure. _She was threatening my mate!_ Ymir roared. _Krista called out to me in fear and worry. How the fuck was I not supposed to attack her?_

_I don’t care. There is no threat here. Stop your attack. If you promise not to act like a wild beast again I will remove my teeth and get off of you. So?_

Ymir stopped her struggling. Her nostrils flared as she panted in exhausted. Though they had only fought for a minute at most, her entire body ached. Most of the bites and scratches she had suffered had healed already, but it felt like they were all still there.

_Fine, fine! Get off now!_

Maeve felt that the exclamation was honest and quickly got off of Ymir. She stood by her just to be cautious, and then shared a look with her blonde friend.

_Nanaba, why do you bring a pup like her here? She has no discipline._

Nanaba lowered her head, guilty and feeling shame for Ymir’s behaviour. _I apologise. I didn’t expect this idiot not to listen._ She stepped on Raiden’s tail to emphasize her words, ignoring the whine of pain. _Ymir and Krista are a binding pair. Ymir was merely acting on her instinct. I truly apologise for her actions._

Maeve seemed placated, so she nodded once and then shifted back into her human form. The others did the same, and Krista immediately rushed over to her freckled lover. Maeve went over to Raiden and grabbed a hold of her chin.

“You aren’t very bright, are you?” she asked hotly.

Raiden was in no mood for the condescending tone. She slapped the hand away, surprising everyone there, and stood to her full height. She set her shoulders back, hardened her eyes and clenched her fists.

“Fuck you,” she spat.

Maeve blinked. “Nanaba, are you aware that you have an alpha level in your pack?”

Nanaba went pale. “Wh-what? Wait, I don’t have a pack. I saved this idiot from a lycan and I’m helping the other idiot with her newly realized cynan self. What do you mean with Raiden? Surely she can’t be…?”

Maeve leaned in close to inspect Raiden’s burning gold eyes. “No mistaking it,” she said. “This one is an alpha level by birth. No wonder she survived that attack. Adrian told me about it, I just never believed him that she could be this powerful.”

Nanaba didn’t believe it. “Look, there’s no way. She’s only a kid. It’s been centuries since anyone has been born that strong.”

Maeve immediately sent Nanaba a burning green gaze. “Why would I make this up? It neither excites nor amuses me.” She looked back to the redhead. “You are aware, are you not? This is why you attempted to face off with a lycan?”

Raiden held the stare for as long as she could, and then her eyes shifted to the ground and she crossed her arms over her chest. “Whatever,” she said softly. Her anger had dimmed, and now she just looked tired and moody.

“Guys,” Krista spoke up. She tried not to blush too intensely, but it was difficult when she was surrounded by four naked women. Not to mention that they were all breathtakingly gorgeous. “This is all my fault, I’m really sorry.”

Maeve approached her and crouched down to where she was sitting with Ymir’s head resting in her lap. She touched a finger to Krista’s cheek.

“You smell weird for a human,” she stated. “What are you really?”

Krista squinted. “I’m sorry?”

“Leave her alone!” Ymir snarled. Her teeth were out, her eyes aglow, and she got onto her hands and knees to growl.

Maeve was smart enough to move away and stepped up to Nanaba. “Are they truly a binding pair?” she scrutinized them, irritated with the brunette’s hostile attitude.

Nanaba felt like this entire trip had just taken a dump on her head. She gripped her hip with one hand and then ran the other through her hair. “They are.”

Maeve hummed. “It seems that you have attracted quite the group. What a powerful pack you would make. Now, before others smell the blood, head back to the rooms and clean up. I need to assure everyone that nothing serious happened.” She gave Nanaba a hard slap on the back and then walked off without another word.

Even though she was still mad, Raiden couldn’t help but glance to the side and watch Maeve’s nude backside.

“What the hell were you thinking?!” Nanaba yelled. She smacked Raiden upside the head.

“I’m sorry!”

“You could have been killed!” Nanaba yelled even louder. “I gave you specific orders and I had trust in your intelligence to follow them!”

Raiden’s earlier anger bubbled up to the surface and her canines grew out. She pulled her lips back over her teeth. “I’m sorry.”

Nanaba felt unnerved but did not back down. “I don’t care if you are an alpha level. That means nothing to me. When I give you an order, as the older one here and as the one that saved your life, I expect you to follow it. I asked you to stay away specifically so that Ymir didn’t see you as a threat. She’s new and stupid. You’re young and stupid.” She threw her hands up in the air. “I’m surrounded by stupid!”

Raiden’s anger suddenly dropped and she looked down at her feet.

Nanaba gave her one more hand look, and then made to walk away, but stopped when Raiden grabbed her arm.

“Don’t leave. I’m sorry.” She looked up and guilty golden eyes met blue. “I know I’m a screw up, okay? I’m cocky and stupid. But please don’t leave. I’ll make it up to you! I’ll join your pack. I’ll follow your lead! I’ll even do your household chores if you want me to.”

Nanaba looked at her for a long while, and then she deflated with a sigh and rubbed a hand over her forehead. “Fine, it’s fine. You don’t need to go out of your way. I have no pack. Just listen to me next time.”

Raiden nodded, eyes hooded with shame. “I screwed up big time, didn’t I?”

“You did. You can explain yourself later. For now we should hurry back to our rooms. Maeve wasn’t joking. This place is full of our kind and I don’t want Ymir to attack anyone that smells differently.”

The blonde went over to her brunette friend and looked down at her. “You okay?” She offered a hand.

Ymir looked at it. “I’m fine,” she said. She took the blonde’s hand and allowed the tall cynan to hoist her upwards. With a grimace she straightened, and then she felt Krista’s soft touch. One look into her mate’s blue eyes set her chest to ease, and the brunette sighed.

They started walking hurriedly, Krista clinging onto Ymir and the brunette not looking over to Raiden. The redhead kept to Nanaba’s side, but her head hung long and she bit her lip the entire time.

Ymir was sure that she just needed a shower, some food and a good rest and then she would be ready to face Raiden like a civilized person. If she tried to face her now then she would only attack her again, so she held tightly onto Krista and they made it to their rooms without incident.

XxX

“Apologise.” Nanaba clamped a hand over Raiden’s head and forced her into a low bow.

Raiden didn’t argue and tightened her hands into fists. “I’m sorry Ymir! I did not mean to frighten your mate or threaten you when you attacked!”

Ymir lifted an eyebrow but shrugged. “Sure,” she said.

Nanaba released the teen and then crossed her arms over her chest. “Ymir, greet your fellow cynan and accept her apology properly.”

Krista pressed a finger to her lips to supress a giggle. Nanaba was acting very much like their pack leader, and it was amusing. The small blonde wondered why Nanaba was so against the idea of forming her own pack. Had something happened to her in the past to make her feel that way, or did she simply find the idea too much of a hassle?

Ymir rolled her eyes but stood up from where she had been sitting on the bed, fresh out of a shower, and approached the nervous redhead. “I’m sorry,” she apologised. She lifted a hand and touched the nasty wounds on Raiden’s face. They were almost healed, but still horrible to look at. The blood had been awful but no one had really noticed until they had reached their rooms. Nanaba had been the one to panic the most, though she played it off by scolding Raiden some more. The redhead had smiled though, since she could smell the scent of worry.

Raiden shrugged. “If anything I deserved it.” She held her hand out, golden eyes locking onto lazy brown. “I was too eager to meet you. I don’t know a lot of my kind, so I was a bit too excited. Also, your mate smells really, really nice.”

Ymir grinned at that instead of getting upset. She grabbed Raiden’s wrist and gave it a hard squeeze, pleased to feel Raiden grip onto her wrist just as tightly.

“Apology accepted. Flirt with my girl, though…” Ymir left it hanging, and although her expression led one to believe that she was joking, Raiden could clearly hear the genuine threat there.

“I’m stupid but not _that_ stupid.”

They finally released each other and then Raiden rubbed the back of her neck. She stared at the floor, red brows drawn together, and then she suddenly grinned broadly and chuckled.

“What?” Nanaba asked, eyes narrowed.

“Heh. I was just thanking my good fortune. I chased a lycan out of stupidity, but ended up meeting some amazing people because of it.” Genuine happiness filled her face and she smiled brightly at the three adults watching her. “Even though you’re human, Krista, you’re pretty awesome. I don’t generally like humans, but you’re okay.”

Krista smiled, happy too. “You’re okay too, Raiden. I think that as long as you three stop being stupid we can all get along well, like a family.”

Raiden almost burst in excitement at the mention of the word “family”, but Nanaba frowned. Ymir didn’t really react, since she didn’t really care, but she frowned when Nanaba did.

“Hey, Nanaba, let’s form a pack!” Raiden almost bounced on the spot, and she grabbed a hold of both Ymir and Nanaba, pulling them closer.

“No,” Ymir and Nanaba said together. They shared a glance and then chuckled.

Raiden’s face fell. “Why not? You’re like our leader already!”

Nanaba seemed uninterested even though Raiden watched her with a hopeful expression. She shook her head. “No, and don’t ask again.” She tapped Ymir’s shoulder. “Now that you’ve made your peace with Raiden, are you cool to meet the others? Maeve sort of commanded that you show up, to make up for losing it.”

Ymir felt a flutter of nervousness enter her stomach. She swallowed lightly and hoped that the others couldn’t sense her unease. Krista had, however, and joined her side to slip her hand into Ymir’s.

“Yeah, sure,” Ymir finally said. She shrugged. “How bad can it be?”

“It might be a little tense at first. We cynans are a wary kind. If they feel that you’re no threat, then they’ll welcome you with open arms.”

Ymir nodded, listening with interest. “And if they feel I’m a threat?”

Nanaba broke out into a light sweat. “Let’s just say you’ll need to run.”

Ymir rolled her eyes, not believing the dramatics, and followed Nanaba and Raiden out the door. They headed down the stairs, passed by reception and then stepped through double doors to the corner of the building. Within was a bar, dark and murky and brimming with people. Ymir was sure that she hadn’t seen so many people here when they had arrived earlier.

“Nanaba!” someone exclaimed. Suddenly someone jumped at Nanaba and the blonde had no choice but to catch the person.

“Hey,” Nanaba said awkwardly. Her eyes widened when lips suddenly covered hers, and then she just closed her eyes and waited for it to end.

Raiden nearly choked, Ymir’s eyebrow lifted and Krista flushed.

When the kiss ended Nanaba sighed deeply and rubbed a hand over her face. “Do you have to kiss me every time?”

The woman, a short black-haired cynan with warm brown eyes, flashed a saucy grin and ran a finger down Nanaba’s chest.

“I just can’t help myself,” she cooed. She would have leaned in to steal another kiss, but a strong arm threw her across the room before she could. Maeve appeared, eyebrow lifted and an amused grin on her face.

“She still sexually assaults you even after all these years?”

Nanaba gave her friend a hug while she laughed. “Apparently.”

There was a howl from where the woman had fallen, and then a crowd of laugher and an embarrassed huff.

“She isn’t bad,” Nanaba said. “Just can’t take a no.”

“I see your pack has made up,” Maeve said deliberately.

Nanaba frowned. “Stop saying that.”

Maeve shrugged. She noticed that although Ymir was calm she was still agitated. At least, the brunette seemed upset at _something_ —perhaps at someone. Maeve realized the situation, and grinned to herself. She could see jealousy from a mile away, and it was rampant in Ymir’s eyes. It was time for her to introduce her family, so she called over her shoulder and then shared a look directly with Ymir.

“For the newcomers, I would like to introduce my wife and three daughters.”

A beautiful, pale woman with curly brown hair and exotic blue eyes wrapped her arms around Maeve and pressed a kiss to her cheek. By the woman’s side three girls stood. The oldest looked about ten, with hard eyes that resembled Maeve’s and white hair to match. The other two, twins at the age of six, stared timidly and hid behind their mother—both resembled her more closely.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Maeve’s wife said. She shook each of their hands and offered a long hug to Nanaba. “It’s been too long, Nanaba.”

Nanaba grinned and then winked down at the girls. The twins giggled together and the elder daughter looked away to blush.

“I’ve been well, so you don’t need to beg me to visit every weekend.”

“We merely enjoy your presence,” Maeve said. She slapped Nanaba’s arm and then pulled her in for a one-armed hug. Nanaba seemed to enjoy it.

“Anyway, I’d like to introduce everyone to Ymir.”

Maeve’s eyebrow lifted and she released Nanaba. “Oh? Very well.” She turned and walked over to the bar counter. She whispered something to a blue haired bartender and then clapped her hands to garner the attention of everyone in the bar. “Everyone, I need your attention.” When everyone quieted and looked towards her, Maeve grinned. “Today we have an undisciplined pup with us. She is fairly new to our lifestyle, and so our dear Nanaba has taken to training her. I ask that you all please introduce yourselves and become acquainted with her scent. Do not cause a scene. Thank you.”

Almost immediately the cynans filling the bar located Ymir purely by scent, as most had noticed her already, and the bar went to silence. Ymir swallowed and felt her heart thud in fear. So many glowing pairs of eyes looked her up and down, and she felt like the odd cousin visiting the extended family.

A long moment of tense silence passed, and then someone finally approached, hand outstretched. “Hi, I’m Blake. It’s nice to meet another fellow cynan.” It was a tall, tan woman with long black hair and three deep scars across her face. It was evident where the scars had come from.

“Um, hi.” Ymir took her hand and cringed at the painful squeeze.

“I'm Bane,” another cynan introduced. This one was of average height, not as tall as the others. She had shoulder length brown haired tied into a normal ponytail and friendly green eyes. “You look like a strong addition to the family.”

Ymir blinked, never expecting to be accepted as family so soon, or ever. She still felt majorly uncomfortable, and looked around for Nanaba. To Ymir’s horror her friend had moved with Krista, Raiden and Maeve to a table in the back of the bar. She watched with a grin and lifted her glass as if to say, “Good luck, you can do it.”

An arm slung around Ymir and she almost fell over in her fright. “She’s so damn small!” the person exclaimed. “I’m Jake.” Her voice was scratchy and heavy, and Ymir was startled to see that she was extremely tall. Most of the women were, and she suddenly felt like a child.

“Um, nice to meet you all, but I’d kind of—”

“You smell kind of weird,” another cynan said. She grabbed onto Ymir’s shirt and leaned in to smell her neck. Ymir stiffened. “But I like it!”

Ymir’s arms waved in panic as she was swept up by a sea of woman and carried around the bar as each cynan took a turn sniffing her over and introducing themselves. Krista felt the experience through their link, and sent a little boost of encouragement to her lover. She couldn’t help but giggle when she noticed Ymir trying to wrestle her way away, but failing.

“Who knew they would take such a liking to her?” Maeve asked. She nursed a bottle of flavoured water and watched the scene that was pleasing to her eyes.

“Yeah,” Nanaba agreed. “I thought they would bite her for sure.”

Ymir howled suddenly. “I think they just might,” Maeve said with a hint of mischief. “But not due to a threat.”

Krista almost paled and Nanaba watched her with worry. She decided then that maybe it was a good idea to pull Ymir out of the crowd before she was swallowed up. The tall blonde stepped away from the table and made her way over to her friend.

Raiden watched her back, and she smiled.

XxX

Thursday morning Ymir shoved the last of their stuff into her car, and then threw the trunk shut. She spotted Nanaba making her way over and waved.

“You ready to go?” Nanaba asked.

Ymir nodded. “Hell fucking yes. One more second here and I’ll lose my mind.”

Nanaba used extreme caution and supressed her laugh. “I heard from Krista.” She put a hand on Ymir’s shoulder. “I had no idea that someone would try to grope your ass.”

Ymir saw right through Nanaba and glared. “Yeah, whatever. So I finished your training and made doggie buddies. How did I do?”

Nanaba’s smile became tight. “You did better than expected, at least.”

“But not enough to kick lycan ass?”

“It’s never enough. We’ll stop by Adrian this weekend to have him explain things to you. Are you sure that you’re ready to hear about our past?”

Ymir nodded. “Of course I am. I’m tired of your lies.”

Nanaba rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “Hey, I was trying to save you the worry.”

Ymir rolled her eyes. “Sure, whatever. So what are you going to do about the kid?”

Nanaba looked towards the reception building, where Raiden stood chatting excitedly with Krista.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “The kid apparently has nowhere else to go. I can’t send her away, and Adrian offered to take her in.”

Ymir sensed something in her tone. “But you feel responsible for her now, don’t you?”

“I guess.” Nanaba shrugged. “I saved her, I involved her. The least I can do is help her out. Besides, if she really is an alpha then that can seriously help us repel the lycans.”

“What the fuck is this alpha bullshit about anyway?”

Nanaba chuckled. “Well, it’s not what you’d usually consider as a leadership status. With our kind it’s more like a physical power rank. An alpha cynan can become as strong as a powerful lycan, though the genes required for that have almost thinned out. Once in a while a cynan is born an alpha, but it’s rare.”

“And if a lycan is born an alpha?”

At that Nanaba’s eyes clouded over. “That’s the thing,” she said. “Most of them are. That’s why they’re so strong. They retain the strongest genes, while our kind has lost them.”

Ymir felt a biting resentment. “I hate those fuckers already.”

Krista and Raiden approached them then, and the little blonde pulled Ymir down to give her a stern kiss. “Stop worrying. I could feel it from all the way over there.”

Ymir sighed and pulled Krista into her arms to give her a tight hug. Afterwards she pressed a kiss to her head and then inhaled her scent.

What the hell were they going to do once they got back? This lycan thing was making Ymir real tired of their shit.

“I think we’re ready to go,” Nanaba announced.

“Oh! Can I ride with Ymir and Krista?” Raiden asked hopefully.

Ymir and Nanaba responded together, “No!”

Raiden pouted and Krista giggled. “Aw, why not?”

“Just accept it,” Krista advised. She pulled Raiden down to press a kiss to her cheek, and then gave it a pat. “Keep Nanaba company and behave.”

Raiden blinked, blushed and then nodded. She didn’t notice Ymir’s glare or Nanaba’s amusement, and hopped into Nanaba’s car in a daze.

Surprisingly, during the ride back she was absolutely silent and well behaved. Nanaba considered asking Krista to give the redhead a friendly kiss more often. 

 


	7. Chapter 7

Pinnacle beach was a popular spot for travelling students, especially in the summer. But since it was closing in on winter, and the temperature was steadily dropping, it was better to visit the restaurant that dominated the beach instead. Those that would spend all morning and afternoon tanning and surfing now spent that time inside of the warm building, behind laptops and surrounded by friends, all dressed snugly.

Krista pulled her red scarf more tightly around herself and breathed lightly against it. The wind had picked up, and her wispy blonde hair bellowed about her face as she hurried from her car towards the restaurant. It seemed logical that Homura would be waiting for her there, but just before stepping onto the wooden porch, Krista spotted a figure down by the beach. At first she squinted, not sure if it was the person she was here to meet. But the person wore what Homura had said they would wear, and so Krista decided to see if this was the person first.

She suffered her way down the many steps towards the beach and then sighed against her scarf again. Doing this made her think of Mikasa, since the woman always clung to her scarf like it was her very lifeblood. Krista’s was even the same colour.

Krista wondered how her friends were doing and made a short mental note to give them a call sometime. She remembered then that everyone would gather for dinner the next weekend, and so she smiled more easily and finally approached the lone figure.

“Excuse me?” Krista tentatively spoke. She flinched when a strong wind rocked her bones.

The person turned around, and the first thing that entered Krista’s mind was “dashing”. It was clearly a man, since he had his shirt buttoned down a few buttons, revealing his smooth, hairless chest. It wasn’t all that muscular, and the man’s body appeared quite lanky. Not skinny, but more toned and androgynous. When he smiled Krista found herself blushing furiously, and could not stop a certain thought from entering her mind— _he is so beautiful._

“Krista?” he asked, still smiling in a way that made Krista’s breath come short. She didn’t understand her unearthly reaction to this man.

“Y-yes!” Krista stuttered. She clutched her hands together against her chest. “Homura?”

The man nodded. His chin length white hair bellowed with the wind, but he seemed to barely notice. Though his clothes strained against his lean figure, he did not strain himself. The wind was strong, but apparently he was stronger.

“The wind is terrible. Should we head up to the restaurant? I apologise for making you come all the way over here. The view was just too good to pass up.”

Krista quickly waved her hand. “No, no! It’s totally fine. I don’t mind.”

Homura seemed as if he wanted to laugh, but didn’t. His eyes softened considerably, and Krista looked up into his warm brown eyes and was reminded of hot chocolate and a comforting fire.

“Shall we?” He smiled gently and held his arm out, confident that Krista, although having just met him, would take it.

Krista didn’t hesitate. She blushed again when she felt his muscles flex against her grip and then allowed the white-haired man to lead her back up the steps and into the restaurant. It was heavenly inside—no wind and filled with warm, heated air.

Homura guided Krista to a private booth and waited for her to seat herself first, pushing her chair in for her when she did. Afterwards he took a seat himself, and then he flagged a waitress down with a gentle smile and the flick of his wrist.

“Would you like a hot chocolate with marshmallows?” he asked.

Krista nodded dumbly. Homura smiled and then spoke softly as he ordered for Krista and himself. When the waitress left, a hefty blush upon her cheeks too, Homura turned to Krista and laced his fingers together atop the table. His smile then turned embarrassed.

“I’m sorry, am I being inappropriate?” He quickly buttoned his shirt up, having noticed that Krista was staring.

Krista sputtered. “No, of course not! I’m sorry. I’m not usually this… uh… this speechless.”

Homura sheepishly scratched his cheek. “I’m probably being too charming, aren’t I?” Krista’s silence gave him answer enough, especially her blush. He chuckled. “I worship the divine feminine, and so I try to give my utmost respect to women. They are fantastic, wouldn’t you agree?” He winked then.

“Y-you know?”

Homura laughed as if it should have been obvious. “A bit presumptuous of me, I suppose. To be honest I scrolled over your Facebook profile. Ymir, is her name?”

Krista’s jackhammering heart finally started to calm. The mention of her lover sent a pleasant calm over her, and for a moment Krista felt the ghost of Ymir’s fingers playing through her hair. It was possibly a feeling that Ymir had just sent to her after sensing her excitement. Krista was grateful, and it showed in the way that she suddenly smiled the most beautiful smile.

“Ah, that smile is what breathes life into me,” Homura said. He sighed. “Love is an amazing thing. You seem to be so happy. I’m glad for you.” He leaned back in the chair, relaxing. “Now, let’s get down to business.”

Krista nodded and burrowed further into her scarf, almost buried to her nose. “Please.”

“Like I said in the email, the job is already yours. All you need to do is say yes. There is no need for us to really talk further, but I did want to meet you once before you start working. You seem like an interesting person, and my boss—” Suddenly he paused, and a shadow suddenly fell over his face. It was as if mentioning the person suddenly ripped him of his good mood, and his brows drew together in anxiety. In a moment he was calmed after taking a few breaths, and he smiled apologetically. “My boss took a special liking to you and it was demanded that we hire you. I agreed as well, of course.” Apparently he would offer no explanation to his strange pause a moment ago.

Krista didn’t want to pry. It had only taken a few minutes but she already felt like Homura was one of those truly special men that were hard to find. He was so gentle with his expressions and words. She felt appreciated by him even though it was a strange thing to feel from a stranger.

“I wanted to say yes over the phone but I let my nervousness get the better of me,” she explained. “I’m honoured that your company wants to hire me so badly. I never imagined that an opportunity like this would present itself to me.”

Homura’s ashen eyebrow lifted. “You should give yourself more credit. You are exceptionally talented from what I’ve seen of your achievements. I was half expecting you to boast today.”

Krista was the one to chuckle this time. “I’d never.”

“I see that now.” Homura smiled across at her, and then his gentle brown eyes flicked over to the waiter that had suddenly arrived, and a strange expression suddenly took him. The warmth in his eyes melted away to hardness, and his lips pressed together firmly.

The waiter wasn’t the one that had taken their order, and                                                 this one was in fact a man.

Krista watched Homura’s face with interest, wondering why this man suddenly made him seem so upset. Homura looked down at his drink when it was placed in front of him and then continued to stare at it until the waiter had long since left. When he sensed the man had gone, Homura released a breath and then the gentleness returned and Krista’s muscles relaxed.

“Is everything okay?”

“Perfect,” Homura answered over the rim of the white cup. He pressed his lips to it and then hummed in delight as he took a sip. “Hmm, delicious. Do you like hot chocolate on cold days?”

Krista’s mind flashed to Ymir, to the countless times they had spent the day making love and then laying in the lounge in a bundle of blankets, mugs in hand as they kept close for warmth. She smiled at the memory, suddenly longing to be with her lover.

“I do. Cuddling is nice, too.”

Homura nodded as he drank again. He didn’t say anything after placing his cup back down on the table, but then his phone suddenly rang and he spared it a glance.

“I apologise, I should have put it on silent.” He didn’t answer it and ignored it until the ringtone ended.

Krista frowned. “You didn’t have to miss it, I don’t mind.”

Homura shook his head. “This meeting is about you, and I’m not done with you yet.” His eyes glinted mischievously for a moment, and Krista wondered if Homura was the kind of guy that enjoyed teasing. If he was, then it probably wasn’t with the sadistic pleasure that Ymir did it. She sensed a more childlike joy in him, and it made her like the man even more.

“Well Homura, sir, what else would you like to know?” Krista wrapped her small hands around the warm mug and waited for Homura’s eyes to meet hers. They were full of curiosity when they did.

“When did you come to realize your passion?” he asked.

Krista immediately went into a tale of how, in her childhood, she grew a desire to have the truth revealed. From a young age, since her father had been shrouded in so much mystery, she had spent endless years researching him. When her pain became too much, sometimes, she would write little articles to herself. She discovered a talent and a love for writing, and it had transcended through her life until now. Krista was sure that without her love for writing and for the truth, she would never have gone down the path of life that she had, and would never have met the love of her existence.

Homura’s chin was pressed to his palm, head tilted to the side. He held a warm smile, eyes interested as he enjoyed Krista’s enthusiastic retelling. Krista liked the fact that he seemed so invested in her story, even when she veered off topic and began to talk about Ymir. When she realized that she had, she blushed and quietly apologized. Homura had chuckled.

“The most beautiful thing is to watch someone talk about the one they love. It’s wonderful to see the warmth that enters their eyes, the softness to their voice and the slight flush on their face.” Homura finished his drink. “So don’t apologise.”

Krista looked at her cellphone for the time and noticed that an entire hour had already flown by. She stared at her phone for a moment, wondering how the time had gone by so quickly, and then jumped when her phone suddenly vibrated. It was a message from Ymir.

_“Uh, babe. I think you should get home right now. I was trying to make an omelette and, well, you should see for yourself.”_

Krista’s eyebrows drew together in concern and she quickly typed out a response for Ymir to be careful and to not touch anything until she got home. When she hit send she realized her rudeness and quickly shot Homura a horrified look.

“I’m so sorry, but I have to go. Ymir almost burnt the house down. She can’t cook on her own to save her life.”

Homura waved his hand. “I understand. Let me talk to my boss and then I’ll get back to you on when you can start. You know where our offices are. It was nice meeting you.” He stood and offered his hand.

In an uncharacteristic move, Krista bypasses it and stepped on her tip-toes to give him a tight hug. She felt like he was the brother she had never had, and couldn’t stop herself from giving him a warm hug.

“It was really nice to meet you too. I think we can get along really well.”

Homura hugged her back just as tightly and chuckled. His scent washed over Krista, and suddenly her nose burned. She pulled away, offered one more smile and then hurried out to her car. The burn had stopped, but now her skin tingled strangely and Krista wondered what had caused it. Maybe it was his cologne? Weirdly, he didn’t seem to be wearing any. But his smell had been overwhelming during that hug. It was something that stuck with her even when she arrived home and yelled in horror at the mess that was once their kitchen.

XxX

After taking charge in the kitchen and saving the house, Krista did the next most logical thing and ordered food—Chinese, from their favourite restaurant. 

It was still early in the day, so it was considered an early lunch. Ymir wouldn't stop pouting, which Krista found adorable. 

"We all mess up sometimes," she told Ymir, running her fingers through her brown hair. "I nearly burnt the house down almost every night."

Ymir's pout continued. "Whatever." She focused on the meal, not quite as hungry as she had been earlier, which had prompted her sudden urge to cook. 

"Your pouting is adorable, but there's really no need for it." 

“Kiss me and maybe it’ll go away.” Ymir still looked discontented, but Krista could see the slight quiver of her lips.

For a moment Krista acted as if she was considering it, and then, with a great heave of a sigh, she consented. “If I _have_ to.”

Ymir released a playful growl and then tackled Krista, tickling her sides. Krista giggled and kicked, but Ymir’s hard body barely felt the force.

“You have no choice now, a kiss is imminent.”

Krista mocked a horrified expression. “Oh god no, anything but that!”

“You are weak against me.”

Krista’s eyes widened and she fought against her smile. “Please, don’t kiss me until my toes curl!”

Ymir’s eyebrow cocked and she mocked a sadistic smirk. “I’ll do exactly that. Feel my wrath, you puny little human.” She dipped forward and captured Krista’s lips between her own.

Krista, was in fact, very weak against Ymir—physically pressed up against her, and weak due to passionate kisses. The Chinese food was soon forgotten.

XxX

Saturday morning Ymir was nervous when she and Krista stepped into Adrian's shop. He asked them to turn the "open" sign over to "closed", and then beckoned for them to follow him to the back of the shop. There they all ascended to Adrian's apartment, and Ymir was surprised to see Raiden fast asleep on the couch. 

"Why isn't she at Nanaba's place?" Ymir asked Adrian.

"Because," Nanaba answered instead, stepping into the room with a towel over her head. "We were running all morning and came here. She's interested in knowing about our history too."

Ymir felt a little spark of jealousy that another cynan ran with her friend, but shook it off quickly.  Krista had felt the flutter of emotion, and she had to hide a little knowing grin. 

Adrian chuckled. "Someone wake the child. The retelling will take a while and I would like to finish before nightfall." 

They all knew why, and the cynan-born shifted in discomfort. Ymir and Nanaba shared a look, and then Nanaba went over to Raiden and flicked her ear.

Instead of startling awake and yelling like they had expected, Raiden merely woke with a small sigh. Her eyes cracked open to reveal glowing gold, and then she sat up and groggily wiped at her face. She barely noticed the eyes watching her.

"What's up?" she asked, yawning

Nanaba shook her head and then ruffled Raiden's tousled red hair. "Wake up. Adrian wants to start."

She seemed to wake up fully then, eyes snapping open. Raiden grinned in excitement.  "Already?"

Nanaba rolled her eyes. "It's two in the afternoon."

"Oh."

"Now, now," Adrian said. "Let us get something to drink, get comfortable and then I will begin."

Both Ymir and Nanaba took the command as it was and both headed to the old man's kitchen. Krista sat down beside Raiden and startled when the redhead engulfed her in a tight hug.

"You smell so nice!" Raiden exclaimed. "It's not fair that Ymir gets to hog you all day."

Krista just patted Raiden's head, silently wishing that Ymir would hurry. 

"So," Ymir started when they were in the kitchen. "You went running with the kid?"

"I went out by myself but she followed me."

Ymir's eyes narrowed and then she shrugged. "Sure."

Nanaba paused what she was doing to glance over at Ymir. "Are you jealous?"

Ymir sputtered. "What the fuck makes you think I'm jealous?! Of course I'm not!"

Nanaba grinned teasingly. "Sure thing." She laughed when Ymir punched her shoulder. "You're adorable when you're jealous. Has Krista ever told you that?"

Ymir did not want to acknowledge the fact that she was blushing. She shrugged harshly and then cleared her throat. "Just finish the damn tea."

Nanaba did as she was told and Ymir helped her carry the drinks to the lounge. They noticed that Adrian had piled a bunch of old books on the coffee table, and were careful when placing the drinks down beside it.

"What are these old books for?" Raiden asked. Ymir was now sitting between her and Krista and Nanaba was on her other side, much to the redhead’s exasperation.  

"These," Adrian said, "are records of your kind. They have been handed down in my family for generations, used when your kind forget the bloodshed of your past."

Everyone had grown silent. Besides the sipping of their tea, they all sat still, eyes trained on Adrian. He took that as his cue to start and opened one of the dusty books.

"There is no conclusive evidence to explain the origin of your kind, but there is enough historical recording to have a fair confidence in the stories. No one is sure where lycans or cynans came from, just as humans can't explain their origin either. It is speculated that lycanthropes developed among the human race as humans themselves. They used magic and were able to transform themselves into beasts. Another speculation is that when these lycans became a race of their own, some mated with humans. Their offspring then mated with humans again, and the cynans were born. They had weaker blood than the lycans, and therefore their transformed state, while similar, had large differences."

"So we are like lycan/human hybrids?" Raiden asked, eyes wide.

Adrian nodded. "Many years ago the lycans began to hate cynans. Feeling that it was shame to their blood, they started to hunt them down. Lycans that had settled down with human mates were burned at the stake. In a desperate attempt to save their lower brothers and sisters, a small group of lycans suggested that instead of killing them, they should use them. They reasoned that the cynans should repay the debt of their lives to lycans, and so the era of cynan slavery began. For over a hundred years cynans were forced into submission and obedience. Most of them were mistreated as the tradition of cynan-shaming grew more popular among the lycans. Not all were pleased by the awful law, so some of the lycans tried to treat the cynans with respect. In the early 1800s, a cynan by the name of Nisroc was born. He was Alpha level."

Ymir cleared her throat. "Could you explain what Alpha level means?"

Adrian smiled. "Of course. It all ties in with your genetics. Since cynans share relatively the same DNA with lycans, some might be born with exceptional power. When their lycan genes overpower their human genes, the cynan is just as strong as a pure-breed lycan. The main reason that lycans were able to take over so easily was because of their sheer power. The cynans were afraid, and so they obeyed. An Alpha cynan is rare. It's a genetic mutation that affects not even 1% of the cynan population."

Raiden grinned smugly. "Therefore I am badass," she concluded. She did not expect the hand that clamped down around the crown of her head.

"Don't get cocky," Nanaba warned. "Last time I checked it was you being murdered and me that saved you."

Raiden quickly deflated and sunk down on the couch. She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. 

"Nisroc was the first Alpha-born," Adrian continued, a smile directed at Nanaba and Raiden. Their interactions amused him greatly. "And so he did not fear the lycans. He was the first in one hundred years to ever stand up for his kind. Unfortunately he was killed before he reached maturity, but his strong conviction had sparked a new fire in the cynans. They were inspired. But they did not know how to fight against the lycans. Surely they would die if they went to war.

“This is when a young girl by the name of Valeria accidentally killed her lycan master when he had attempted to strangle her. By pure chance Valeria found the lycans one ultimate weak spot. Just underneath their chin there is a patch of skin much weaker that the rest. She had sliced through it with her claws. Afterwards word spread, and Valeria began training cynans on how to fight. After five years, the revolt happened. In a single night the cynans killed their lycan masters if they could, and then fled into the night. The lycans understood then. The cynans would no longer bend to their will. So they allowed them to flee, but their hatred did not leave them.

“Cynans and lycans lived separately then, each despising the other. If there was a meeting of the two kinds, they would battle for each other's blood. Years and years of isolation and violence passed before either kind ever tried to forgive. Now, as modern species, lycans and cynans merely ignore each other’s existence. It is rare to find lycans with the intense hatred, and if you do, they are most likely from traditional families.”

“So wait,” Ymir said, “they don’t hate us as much anymore? Then why the shit is everyone acting like it’s the end of the world?”

At this Nanaba volunteered to explain by raising her hand. “They don’t have the intense hatred, but the hatred is still there. They feel disdain towards us, but no longer find it beneficial to associate with us, in a negative way or not. The lycans that do actively go out of their way to make shit with cynans are the ones that are brought up in the old ways.”

Krista wrapped herself around Ymir, feeling sad that the two kinds, while so similar, were at such odds. It was just like with humans today. They all bled the same blood, yet they hated each other for differences that no one could control—differences that did not decrease their worth.

“And another thing,” Ymir added. Nanaba sighed and Adrian chuckled.

“Curious, are we?” he asked.

Ymir ignored the comment. “Nanaba told me that it’s rare for a human to carry a cynan child. If that’s true, then how the hell did lycans shack it up with humans back in the day to create us?”

Adrian immediately leaned forward and grabbed one of the dusty old books atop the coffee table. He blew the dust off, and everyone watching noticed that the book was in fact blue, not grey.

“Let’s see.” Adrian flipped through a few worn pages until he paused, skimmed his eyes over it and then hummed. “Ah, here it is.”

“What?” Ymir asked.

Nanaba grinned to herself, since she already knew the answer.

“The lycans back then used a special magic. Overtime that magic was lost. Our kinds all evolved, too. There was still a chance of a successful pregnancy without the magic in the past times, but it was rare. Now there is no such chance. I’m only aware of one pregnancy between a cynan and his human mate. The child was healthy, which surprised us all.”

Ymir’s brows were drawn together in concentration. Krista went absolutely still. Had Ymir been wondering about having children with her? How would that even—she remembered what Adrian had just said, and frowned. They couldn’t have any biological children related to Ymir, it seemed.

“There’s always adoption,” Krista supplied randomly. Everyone in the room paused to glance at her. “What?”

“I wasn’t aware that you want to extend your family, Ymir,” Adrian commented. He noticed the fierce blush that had suddenly taken Ymir’s freckles and smiled mischievously over to Nanaba.

“Wh-what?” Ymir sputtered, face reddening to the tips of her ears.

Krista saw the embarrassment and suddenly felt guilty. _I’m sorry,_ she spoke into Ymir’s head. _I didn’t think before I spoke._

 _What made you say that shit anyway?_ Ymir asked.

_Well… you looked really disappointed, so… so I thought that you… you know…_

_Want kids with you?_

_I don’t know if I do yet._

_Then why did you look so sad?_

_Because not having the option is sad._

_Well I’d still be willing to try._

Ymir went rigid this time, and she shot Krista an astonished look. _Hell no. From what I’ve been told it might kill you. I won’t even chance it. Besides, I don’t want children._

_Ymir, I’m in your head right now. I can see you imagining what our baby would look like. Is that… blue eyes and freckles? Aww. It’s a girl too!_

Ymir flushed further—and she’d just managed to stop blushing, too. _Stop that,_ she internally growled. _Don’t go so deep into my head._

Krista giggled softly and pressed a kiss to Ymir’s cheek. _Sorry sweetheart, I’ll stop. But just so you know, the thought of us having any amount of babies makes me warm and fuzzy inside. I’m not opposed to the idea._

Ymir cleared her throat and chose not to respond. She did, however, put an arm around Krista to tug her into a fierce one-armed hug. She pressed her nose to Krista’s hair, inhaling her sweet scent. She didn’t know what it was, but Krista’s scent always sent a tingle down her spine that ended up setting her heart on fire.

Adrian waved everyone’s attention back to him. “To finish off,” he said, “the lycans that have moved into the area are hostile. I have heard whispers of a large lycan pack that attack humans and cynans alike. They conquer territory that isn’t theirs, destroy anyone in their way and then move on to the next place.”

Ymir, Nanaba and Raiden all shivered as one. Krista found it amusing, and rubbed a hand over Ymir’s knee in comfort.

“What can we do to make them leave?” Raiden asked.

Adrian paused for a long while. He shared a short look with Nanaba, and then he scratched the grey stubble on his chin. “The only way is to fight. Nanaba has been training Ymir specifically for this.”

Ymir flashed to their many training sessions where Nanaba had expressed great importance on certain defence and offence movements. Now it all made sense—including Nanaba’s fierce determination.

“Will a bunch of us even make a difference?” Raiden asked. It seemed she was the curios one this time.

Nanaba took the opportunity to answer. “If we gather a large enough group, then yes. I have a few friends that have been training with me. They will stand with us on the day we battle. I sense that the battle will be soon.”

“Do you have any idea who these lycans are though?” Krista asked.

Nanaba shook her head. “They mask their scent in the city. They only show us their wolf forms. I have not seen any of them elsewhere.”

“I can definitely help a lot!” Raiden yelled. “I’m an Alpha! Train me and I can fight beside you all as an equal.”

“On normal circumstances, Alpha or not,” Adrian said, “You would have been forbidden to battle. You are of a young age. Losing young lives is the worst tragedy. But as the situation stands, we might need you more than we realize. Therefore I ask that you, Nanaba, please take Raiden under your wing and train her as hard as you can. Take Ymir with you. Train them both. Get the others to train as well. We need you all to fight like a pack—or at least as close as a pack gets.”

Krista suddenly lifted her arm high in the air, eager to have a say before she forgot what she wanted to say or lost her opportunity to speak up. “Why is Nanaba so against being in a pack?”

Nanaba’s eyes widened slowly and she shot Ymir a glance. The brunette could only shrug, meaning that she didn’t know how Krista had gotten the idea—it was true though, but still.

“Creating a pack is creating a link between each member. It is not as nearly as strong as a binding pair, mind you, but it does link your minds and bind you all together. Nanaba does not trust herself to be that connected to a group of cynans. She also does not feel an appeal.”

Ymir snorted. “But she’s so lonely. Like, wouldn’t a pack be nice?”

“Excuse me, I’m right here,” Nanaba reminded. “Can we not talk about me as if I’m not here?”

“Welcome to my world,” Raiden muttered.

“Joining a pack or creating a pack takes a specific ritual. It takes a large amount of time and trust. You cannot simply decide to join a pack and then magically become linked to the pack.” Adrian let his shoulders drop. “I do wish that this child of mine would consider it, but she is most stubborn.”

Nanaba groaned softly. “Please, let’s change the topic.”

Adrian felt pity, so he conceded. “I suggest that we all shy away from leaving the city. Any movements they make will be monitored by me, and conveyed to you all. If anything terrible happens, Nanaba will know in an instant. Ymir,” Adrian waited for the brunette to look at him. “Keep your mate at your side at all times. If they smell you on her, she might be their next victim. They despise humans that consort with lycans or cynans, and despise those the humans are with even more.”

Ymir nodded and pulled Krista more firmly against her. Nanaba watched them from the corner of her eye and resisted the urge to sigh. She forced her attention away. That dream filled her mind, of the woman moaning her name. Her chest ached.

When would she ever find her one true person? Nanaba would never admit how much she desired to find her mate. But she knew the odds. Her logical mind told her to forget the silly notion. But seeing Ymir and Krista made her doubts falter. Seeing them so happy and together, it made her jealous in ways she had never been. She wanted what they had—she wanted it badly. But she was respectful, and she adored Ymir. She would never let them in on her awful thoughts—Krista would be devastated. And no doubt she would try to set Nanaba up with someone.

“Is this all we had to be informed on?” Ymir asked.

Adrian nodded. “I gave you the most important information. If you wish to learn of more detail, you are free to drop by and go through these books. They have very compelling tales and detailed drawings.”

Ymir smiled at him. “Thank you, I appreciate that.”

“Are you guys leaving then?” Raiden asked.

“Yes,” Ymir replied drying. “My mate and I have a date with the stove.”

Raiden looked confused and everyone simply ignored her. Ymir and Krista made their way to the door hand-in-hand. When the freckled cynan looked over her shoulder, she caught the strangest expression on Nanaba’s face. She blinked, and it was gone, and then blinked again. Had she seriously seen that?

Jealousy?

“I am happy to have informed you of your history,” Adrian said as they made it downstairs to the shop doors. He gave Nanaba’s side a pat, urging her to stop frowning and smile a little. “Be safe on your way home.”

Krista released Ymir’s hand to give Adrian a tight hug, and then repeated the action with Nanaba and Raiden. The redhead hugged her the longest, since she refused to let go. She hummed happily, and then hastily let go when she caught Ymir’s bared teeth and glowing, burning glare.

“Heh,” she said. “Sorry.”

Krista just giggled and returned to Ymir’s side. “Calm down, girl.” She rubbed Ymir’s tummy and smiled when it calmed her. The others snickered.

“Have a safe ride home,” Nanaba said. “And I’ll be seeing you early tomorrow so that we can work out a battle plan with this idiot over here.” She pulled Raiden into a one-armed hug, her arm wrapped around the teen’s neck. Raiden merely sighed and let it happen.

“I can’t believe that we spoke for so long.” Krista pointed to the outside of the store, where it was dark and quiet.

“Yeah, shit. We should get home. I’m hungry.”

Krista rubbed her stomach again and giggled when her hand was captured and held captive in a much larger, warmer hand. “Goodbye everyone, it was an interesting visit.”

Ymir pulled her from the shop and they waved. Once they climbed into the car Ymir sighed. “I’m exhausted.”

Krista pulled her seatbelt on and urged Ymir to do the same. She put the car heater on, shivering lightly, and sighed as well. “Me too! I could totally use a good cuddle when we get home.”

“Food first.”

“Yes, of course. We can eat first and then cuddle. Or we can cuddle while we eat!”

Ymir chuckled. “Yeah so I can get sauce on your head again and have you yelling in my ear for the whole night.”

Krista remembered the event and laughed. “Okay, point made. Let’s hurry home then.”

Ymir rolled her eyes and obeyed. She reversed smoothly, put the car into first gear and then drove away from the shop. It was a twenty minute drive back to their place, since Adrian’s shop was a little ways on the other side of town. Ymir didn’t mind though, since she got to admire Krista from the corner of her eye and enjoy the warm silence between them.

“I love you, squirt,” the brunette uttered suddenly. The smile that lit Krista’s face made her heart soar.

“I love you too Ymir.” If Ymir wasn’t driving then Krista would have tackled her in a tight hug. “So much that I’d have your babies.”

Ymir blushed and sighed dramatically. “Let us please never touch that topic again.”

Krista giggled, and the sound made Ymir’s heart flutter again. She smiled despite her embarrassment.

They fell into silence then, and Ymir turned onto their street. Suddenly a strange feeling swept over her, and almost without her realizing it she quickly stepped on the brake, hands digging into the steering wheel. Krista gasped loudly as her body slammed against the seatbelt, but luckily it prevented her from any injury.

The blonde looked to Ymir, panicked. “Ymir? What happened?” The brunette was staring forward, eyes wide with shock, glowing and shifting unnaturally. Her teeth were out too, as well as her claws.

When Krista turned to see what Ymir was looking at, her whole world felt like it had suddenly been turned upside down.

In the headlights stood a woman. She was naked, from head to toe. The most startling of her appearance was the blood and scratches all over her body. She noticed them staring and wobbled closer to the car until she collapsed against the front of it.

Ymir hadn’t seen her run out onto the road. Her instincts had sensed it, though, and if she hadn’t suddenly braked, then the woman would have been hit.

“Ymir…” Krista whispered, her voice strained and airy. “Is that…?”

Ymir swallowed thickly. There was no denying it. She could see the steam lifting from the woman’s wounds. The woman’s eyes glowed towards them, her body struggling between human form and her shifter form. She held her side, wincing, and mouthed something.

Krista swallowed the dryness from her mouth, unable to move. “We should help her.”

Ymir’s hairs were standing up. She felt herself growl, and her eyes quickly darted to where the woman had run from. There were glowing eyes staring back at them, threatening ones, but they remained in the cover of the dark.

“Hurry,” Ymir urged, already unbuckling her seatbelt and climbing out. “Get her in the car before they come back to finish her off.”

Never had Krista ever imagined that she and Ymir would come across someone like this, and never had she expected it to be _her_ either.

XxX

A large body darted through the bushes, paws thumping on the ground as she run. Behind her, heavier footsteps fell. It was a frightening sound, and she forced herself to run even faster.

It was a group of lycans—three to be exact. The cynan had merely been out to sniff the area when she had unfortunately stumbled upon the beasts. Now they were chasing her, short puffs leaving their mouths, either as sighs or chuckles—the cynan wasn’t sure which.

The thought of what they would do to her once she was caught sent a terrified shiver down her spine. As much as she hated the idea of running away, and she would much rather have come up with a creative way to make better of the situation, there was no denying that her life was in danger. She had no choice but to run. To where? She was not sure. She simply ran forward.

Her nose caught a familiar scent and she took a sharp left around a few trees. The lycans barked out after her but shot past the trees with ease. When she turned to look at them, her blood ran cold—one of them had disappeared.

She turned forward too late, and ran right into the jaws of the waiting predator. Sharp teeth sliced into her shoulder. She pulled free, howling at the pain, and tumbled to the ground in a heap. Claws sliced down her side, but she was up, legs pumping hard as she started running again.

There was no damn way that she would be taken down like this. She was not their toy or their food. Determination filled her chest and she ran faster than she ever had. But the lycan was right on her, faster than her, and sunk its teeth just below her hip. She didn’t howl this time and barely made a sound as she crashed to the ground and lay crumbled beneath the lycans dripping jaws.

 _Pathetic,_ the lycan growled. _Your kind makes me sick._

The cynan growled darkly, angered beyond measure. _Get off of me, you shit-faced monster!_

The lycan’s thin lips pulled back even further. Blood and drool dripped down onto the cynan’s fur-covered chest, making her growl in disgust.

_I will rip your face off and make your friends wear it._

The other wolves finally caught up and snorted in amusement as they circled. Apparently they did this often.

They cynan struggled and managed to get onto her legs. The lycan on top of her got off and joined its pack-mates.

 _There is no escape for you,_ one of them said.

She growled. She had to get out of here. These creatures would not be her end—she refused to let it end that way.

So she stood her ground, tensed her muscles and kept her sharp eyes trained on each lycan as they circled around her. She was aware of their soft spot, so when one jumped at her she swiped. Her hit landed just as the lycan’s did, and they both roared. The other lycans were surprised, allowing the cynan to slip past them in the second they looked to their injured comrade.

They all growled angrily then and began chasing her again, even the one she had struck. The lycan was bleeding profusely, but apparently angry enough to ignore the pain and end the hunt.

She did not want to give them the satisfaction, and willed her injured body to move even faster. The scent was growing stronger, and intuition told her that if she just held out and ran towards the scent, they would be forced to surrender. She did not know what was telling her to do so, but didn’t question it. She had no other hope that this.

So she blindly ran through the dark, her nose guiding her safely. When she reached a residential area, she worried momentarily for the people nearby. The lycans would simply attack everyone, would they? She could not stop to ponder on it. The cynan ran harder. A light appeared up ahead, two. They were car headlights.

Her heart thudded painfully, body burning. She took the opportunity to shift mid-run, and her four legs turned to two. She panted out a curse as she stumbled slightly after the transition, and then she burst from the bushes into the street and closed her eyes. Tires screeched, the car stopped, and she lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the blinding light.

She did not need to turn to know that the lycans had stopped behind the pushes. Their growls met her ears—it was a frustrated, defeated sound. Relief washed through her.

Her gut had been right, and she was safe.

She stumbled towards the car and pressed her hands to it. It hurt all over, her body was still trying to shift back into its cynan form, apparently not caught up with her mind just yet, that the danger was over.

The car door opened and she recognized someone that she wasn’t all that familiar with, and someone that she hadn’t seen in too long a time.

Krista hurried over and Ymir offered her jacket.

“Jesus,” the brunette said “I don’t even know what to think right now.”

“I’m sure we’ll have time to talk,” the cynan explained. She groaned at the pain and fell forward. Ymir caught her, and Krista rushed to her side.

“What happened? You’re bleeding! Should we take you to a hospital? What should we do?”

“No hospital,” Ymir stated sternly. “Her wounds will heal quickly, but we need to take her to Adrian.”

The cynan sighed deeply in relief. Her intuition had been completely right.

“Okay,” Krista conceded. She put her hand on the injured woman’s shoulder, eyes clouded over in shock, worry, fear and disbelief. The woman had always expected this reaction, but was sad that her secret had to be revealed in such a manner—and so early too.

“Krista, I’m sorry for never telling you.”

Krista swallowed and shook her head.

“We should go. You’re bleeding all over,” Ymir said softly. She was already pulling the woman to the car, having half a mind to just pick her up.

Krista stood for a moment, keeping the woman’s gaze. Her heart was beating crazily, chest buzzing with too many emotions at once. First they needed to get her to Adrian, get her wounds sorted, and the she would have her chance to ask what she needed to know.

“Krista!” Ymir yelled, nervous. “Get in the car, now. We need to go.”

Krista startled into action and hurried into the car. She pulled her seatbelt on and glanced into the rear-view mirror.

“Don’t look at me like that Krista,” the woman stated with a wide grin, despite her pain and injuries. “It makes me feel bad.”

Krista dropped her eyes, and then glanced over her shoulder. “No, it’s okay,” she said. “I’m just really shocked.”

“I’d expect you to be.”

Ymir started the quick drive back to Adrian’s.

“I never would have guessed…”

“That’s normal.”

Krista turned back to the front and gripped the fabric of her pants. She contemplated a moment, and then decided to speak her mind. “When were you going to tell me?” she asked. She turned once more to lock her eyes onto glowing brown orbs. “Hanji?”

_Dun dun duuuuuun_


	8. Chapter 8

Sunday morning was quiet and undisturbed. Krista slept peacefully, though she twitched awake when she instinctively felt eyes trained on her. Her eyes opened slowly, fluttering and squinting as the early morning light flooded beyond her lids. When her vision cleared, she was able to look around and catch the gaze on her.

“Sleep well?” Hanji asked.

Krista noticed that she was draped over Hanji’s stomach. She’d been sitting next to the teacher and must have fallen asleep during the night, leaning over and onto the bed. Her back hurt from the awful position, and she shot up quickly in panic when she remembered that Hanji had been really injured the night before.

“Oh no, I’m sorry! Your injuries!”

Hanji chuckled. “I’m not human, remember? Adrian’s medicine helped me heal up perfectly.” Still nude but not ashamed of the fact, Hanji pulled the blanket from her body and stared at the deep scars on her side. “Though he couldn’t do much for the scars.”

Krista blushed lightly. “Do they hurt?”

“Not really. If Adrian hadn’t treated me then I’d still be bleeding to death.”

Krista looked up into Hanji’s brown eyes. She wasn’t wearing her glasses, and had probably lost them last night. Thinking of the incident made Krista gasp lightly and put a hand on top of Hanji’s. “What happened last night?”

They had rushed Hanji back to Adrian’s, and luckily he had stayed awake and Nanaba and Raiden were still there. Everyone went into a panic, and Adrian had ordered everyone to carry Hanji to his bed. There he had treated her after putting her to sleep, and so Krista hadn’t had the chance to talk to Hanji. Not until now.

Hanji stretched her arms above her head and yawned, and her teeth were out and looked frightening to Krista, who was still having trouble coming to terms with her former teacher being a cynan, too.

“Well,” Hanji began. “I was just doing my usual nightly investigation when I hit jackpot and found their hideout!” She grinned, not one trace of regret or fear on her face. “But it was completely by accident, and they just happened to be there.” She sighed. “Being on my own, I would not have been able to survive, so I ran. I found Ymir’s scent in the woods and followed it out onto the street.”

Krista listened intently, not saying a word. She wondered where Ymir was, since it was unlikely that she had returned home by herself while Krista stayed by Adrian. She was most likely out with Nanaba somewhere or maybe down in the shop.

“Remember when I found you and Ymir in that parking lot about a year ago?” Hanji asked. 

Krista had to think about it, and it took a good few moments until she remembered. When she did, her eyes snapped back to Hanji in surprise.

_“If it isn’t my star pupil.” An arm flung out and wrapped around Krista’s shoulder. “How have you been?”_

_Krista smiled and gave Hanji a hug around the waist. “I’ve been great, though busy. What are you doing here, Hanji-sensei?”_

_“Oh I was just going to the bookstore over there when I noticed you standing here. Is that a dog?!” Hanji dropped down to her knees and pulled Ymir against her._

Krista, get this loon off of me, _Ymir growled as Hanji cooed and made weird noises as she rubbed her face against Ymir’s fur and stroked her back. Krista didn’t have to intervene though, because Hanji suddenly froze and held Ymir’s face in her hands. She examined her closely and looked deeply into her eyes. Both Ymir and Krista began to sweat._

_Hanji hummed softly, released Ymir and then stood while dusting herself off. “Krista, I need to ask you something strange…” the bespectacled woman asked in a way too serious tone._

_“U-um, yes?”_

_Hanji glanced down at Ymir and then back at Krista. “Is this really a dog, or is she a human that turns into one?”_

“You were serious then, weren’t you?”

Hanji laughed loudly. “The look on both of your faces!” She slapped her knee. “Oh boy, I’m so glad I decided to pretend it was a joke.” She lifted a hand to adjust her glasses and remembered that they weren’t there. She cursed softly and rubbed at her eyes. “But yeah, I knew. I could smell it immediately, but judging by her size, she didn’t know it yet. I decided to keep quiet about it. Plus, your essay back then told me all I needed to know.”

Krista pouted. “You could have saved us so much drama if you’d just helped.”

“Oh?” Hanji leaned in and pressed a finger to Krista’s forehead. “But would everything have really turned out as it did, if I’d helped?”

“I don’t know.”

“Exactly, so let’s now dwell on it. Now, I need to see Adrian and tell him of what I saw.”

Krista stood and helped Hanji up, even though the brunette didn’t need it. She found a pair of jeans and a shirt lying around and slipped them on without a care of who they belonged to. When she took a sniff at them, she noted a certain scent. It was faint, at least, which meant the clothes were still clean.

The both of them left the bedroom and headed down into the shop. There they found Adrian and Nanaba sitting by the table in the back room, talking lowly over cups of tea. It was too soft for Krista to ear, but Hanji did, and she frowned.

“Thank you for saving my ass, Adrian,” Hanji announced upon their entrance.

Adrian glanced up and smiled. “It was nothing, young one.”

Nanaba lifted an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. “Hanji, those are my clothes.”

Hanji glanced down at the grey shirt. “I thought that they smelt like you!” She laughed and went over to slap Nanaba on the back. Afterwards she took a seat, and all humour drained from her face.

“You have something to tell me?” Adrian asked.

Hanji nodded. “I know where they’ve been staying. I found their hideout last night. I also know exactly how many of them are here.”

Adrian’s normally half closed eyes widened to their capacity. “Dear lord, it is a miracle that you survived, Hanji.”

Nanaba leaned forward and pressed her arms to the table. “Where is their hideout?”

Krista felt awkward still standing by the door, so she took a seat as well and quietly listened to the others talk.

“North of here, close to the edge of the city. It’s an old warehouse, but it looks like they fixed it up inside. The place reeks of them. So I, being curious, approached the place and looked through the window. They noticed me immediately, but I managed to catch a glimpse of their group and hear a snippet of conversation.”

_Hanji pressed her nose to the glass, heart pounding excitedly in her chest._

_“We’ve played with them enough,” one of the lycans announced. By the voice Hanji wasn’t sure if it was a woman or a man. It was deep and husky, but touched with the soft tinge that only a woman could really possess. Of course, Hanji knew plenty of men with more feminine voices than her, so perhaps she should not assume._

_“But why?” another said. This one was definitely a woman. Hanji could see the back of her head. They were all seated on couches, but due to the darkness in the room she could not see their faces. She could only faintly make out the shine of dark, black hair._

_“Because,” the first voice spoke. “We are giving them too much warning. For now we lay low, we prepare.”_

_“And what if we come across them again?” a third voice enquired, this one most definitely male. It was rougher than the others, angrier. “Can I still play with the humans?”_

_The first voice, most likely their leader, chuckled. “Enjoy your fun with the inadequates. If you come across any mutts, leave them be. We have a plan here, and if you dare disobey me, I will rip your throats out.”_

_There was a loud rumble of growls, all of them frustrated and angered._

_Besides the three that had spoken, there were three more in the room. Hanji wasn’t sure of their appearances or gender. When their growling suddenly stopped—like an engine cut off without warning—Hanji’s heart dropped into her stomach._

_Red, blazing eyes gazed through the darkness and cut right through her soul. “We have a guest,” they announced. “And now that I’ve allowed our conversation to be heard, let us give them one final message before we allow peace.”_

_The lycans were already moving, shedding clothing as their long bodies morphed into wolves. Their eyes began to glow, and they all tore through the door towards Hanji. She was already running, but their footsteps were so loud behind her that she honestly did not expect to live._

“Peace?” Nanaba asked, blonde brows furrowed. “What are they planning?”

“They want to lull us into a false sense of security, to make us feel as though the threat has passed, to weaken our resolve and strength,” Adrian supplied. “They will try to communicate with us, to make a bond with us, thereby infiltrating our ranks. When the time to strike comes, we will be knocked onto our feet in shock and distress.”

Everyone in the room looked to Adrian, surprised.

“How can you know that?” Hanji asked, blinking.

Adrian sighed. “It’s a common war method used by lycans. I thought it died out along with the wars, but apparently our enemies are deeper lost in the past than we thought.”

“But what about the guy that mentioned humans? You think he’s the one mutilating people?”

Adrian nodded. “More than likely. Humans are weaker and cannot fight back. It is an ultimate pleasure for some lycans to remove a human’s control. It can be intoxicating to them.”

“Why don’t they just outright attack us? Why go to such lengths?”

“To them, it’s more amusing that way.”

Nanaba and Hanji growled at the same moment, and Krista jumped slightly in fright.

“U-um,” she spoke up tentatively. “Where is Ymir?”

The cynans calmed, and Adrian gave them both a pat on the shoulder in comfort. “I sent her with Raiden to deliver a message nearby. We will gather our forces tonight. I want us to begin team training as soon as possible.”

It was then that Krista felt something odd tingling in her chest, and she realized it was irritation. She wasn’t irritated though, so it must have been coming from Ymir.

_“Shut the fuck up Raiden!”_

The words entered Krista’s head without warning and she clapped a hand over her mouth to prevent a laugh. That was her answer—Ymir was irritated at Raiden, no doubt.

“Krista, when Ymir returns the two of you should head home and get some rest. Ymir didn’t sleep last night. She will need her energy for tonight. From what Hanji has said, the lycans should not openly trouble us again, but be careful.”

Krista nodded determinedly. “Right!” She hoped Ymir would return soon.

XxX

Ymir’s eye began to twitch and it took every bit of her strength not to lash out and punch Raiden right in the face. At least she had obeyed Ymir’s earlier exclamation and was now quiet, but the memory of her teasing was still getting on Ymir’s nerves.

“Are we almost there?” Raiden asked. She rubbed at her neck and yawned. Like the others she hadn’t slept the previous night. The cynans had all been too worked up and had decided to circle around the store in order to establish their scent, and to watch out for any threat. No lycans had approached, but the worry of them showing up did not let them rest.

Ymir looked to the piece of paper in her hand. “Looks like we’re on the right street,” she responded gruffly.

“Which house number is it?”

“Four.”

Raiden nodded and surveyed the area. She felt bad for angering Ymir, so she wanted to help her out a little. When she finally spotted the house, she grabbed Ymir’s hand. “Found it!” She tugged the older cynan with her, ignoring Ymir’s death threats.

It took half the distance for Ymir to break free, since Raiden was disturbingly strong. When she was free, she glared at the young redhead and brushed past her. Raiden merely sighed and kicked herself for being stupid again, and followed Ymir up to the door.

“What are we doing here anyway?”

“To give a message,” Ymir gritted through her teeth.

Raiden fell silent and Ymir knocked once on the door. There was a moment of silence, and then the sound of someone sighing from beyond and heavy footsteps approaching the door. When it swung open, both Ymir and Raiden took a step back and looked _up_ at the massive man standing before them.

He looked calmly at them, and then sniffed the air. “Did Adrian send you?” he asked.

Ymir recovered quickly and nodded. “Yeah. Here,” she pulled an envelope from her pocket and handed it to him.

The man took it and placed it in his pocket without looking at what was inside. “Thanks,” he said. He offered them a nod and then quietly shut the door. Ymir and Raiden blinked for a moment, and then they looked at each other.

“What the hell?” Raiden voiced first. “That was it?”

Ymir rubbed a hand over her face. “Adrian said to just give the envelope and come back. He wouldn’t tell me what’s inside it.”

Raiden rolled her eyes. “At least he told us that he’s getting everyone together. Tonight we’ll get to meet all kinds of cynans. Oh! I wonder if Maeve will be there. She’s hot as hell.” Raiden blabbered on, eyes becoming starry as she thought of Maeve and the way the sexy cynan’s backside swayed. Ymir had to roughly tug her along or she’d have ended up standing alone and fantasizing.

Ymir was too tired to care about Raiden or anything else anymore. She walked quickly back to the shop and immediately smelt the comforting scent of her mate. She followed it to the back room, and engulfed Krista in a tight hug the moment she could.

“Ymir!” Krista exclaimed in surprise. The hug had come out of nowhere, and from behind too, and she hadn’t been able to react. Though she did reach backwards and wrap her arms around Ymir’s neck to give her some sort of embrace in return. When the brunette finally let her go, Krista caught the exhaustion in her eyes and stood quickly to take her hand. “We should go home,” she told Ymir.

Ymir nodded once and sighed softly. “Yeah, I'm tired as shit.” She turned to Adrian. “I gave the thing to the guy. He said thanks.”

Adrian smiled as he sipped on the cold remains of his tea. “I appreciate you doing that for me,” he told her. “Go home. I expect you both back by eight. We have much to explain to the others.”

“Get actual rest,” Nanaba warned. “It won’t help us if you fall asleep tonight.”

Ymir stuck her tongue out at Nanaba. “Yeah, yeah. Bye guys.” She afforded Hanji a nod to let her know that she was glad for her recovery, and then followed Krista out of the shop and to their car.

The drive home was quiet and Ymir was beyond relieved when she stepped into their bedroom and then collapsed onto the bed. Shoes and all, she would have begun snoring already had Krista not nudged her awake. Ymir rolled over and groaned, and Krista went about removing her clothes.

“You can’t sleep in jeans, Ymir.” She gently removed articles of clothing until Ymir was in her boxers and a shirt, and then she pulled her own clothes off and joined Ymir in the bed. “I didn’t get much sleep last night either.”

“Did you speak to Hanji?”

Krista pressed her cheek to Ymir’s chest and nodded. “Yeah. It’ll take a little while to wrap my head around it. At least she’s better.”

“Krista…” Ymir choked on her words suddenly, heart pounding more seriously in her chest. She wrapped herself around Krista, almost too tightly, and buried her face against the little blonde’s neck.

“Ymir?” Krista asked in concern. “What’s wrong?”

Ymir shook her head and then pressed a firm kiss to Krista’s skin.

 _I’m scared,_ she spoke into Krista’s mind.

Krista pressed her lips together, brows furrowing, and pulled Ymir more tightly against her. _Why?_

Ymir made a noise at the back of her throat. _Of ending up like Hanji had, but without the help at the end of the night._

Krista did not respond, as she sensed that Ymir did not need words, but comfort. She curled just as firmly into Ymir and pressed a hand to her chest. With her other hand she found the back of Ymir’s neck, and slowly she caressed the skin there. From her neck to the back of her ear, Krista gently rubbed her skin. It eased Ymir’s tension enough that she uncurled herself and released her hold. A soft rumble began in Ymir’s chest as the petting continued, and Krista noted that Ymir’s tail had grown out, and it was now lazily thumping against the mattress. She smiled, amused, and kissed Ymir gently on the mouth.

“Go to sleep, my love. If anything happens I’ll wake you.”

Ymir exhaled loudly through her nose, and her tail fell lazily down onto the bed, now immobile. She wanted to reply, but was suddenly so relaxed that she fell asleep before she could. Ymir’s long body uncurled completely and Krista gently pushed her onto her back. She then pressed to her side, wrapped an arm around her waist and then used Ymir’s shoulder as her pillow.

Closing her eyes, Krista listened to Ymir’s even breaths and her strong heartbeat until she too fell asleep. They rested peacefully together.

XxX

By eight, Ymir was impatiently pacing through the living room as she waited for Krista to join her. They had both woken a little while ago, and despite the immense stress of the night before, Ymir had slept well. She felt energized, brand new, as if nothing stressful had occurred. But glancing at the clock, and realizing that they would be late, pressed a weight back down on Ymir’s shoulders. Her foot tapped impatiently, as her eyebrow ticked.

“Krista, are you done yet? I really don’t want to show up last!” She had no idea how many people—cynans—they were gathering. Could be four, could be fourty. Ymir didn’t want to admit that she was nervous, especially after her last encounter with a large group of her kind. Remembering that time sent a shiver down her spine.

“Yeah, I’m done! Sorry!” Krista raced into the lounge, paused to quickly fix her hair in a nearby mirror, and then she hurried to the door where Ymir was waiting. “I’m really sorry Ymir.”

Ymir would have told her off, but Krista’s sudden sparkling blue eyes, gazing up at her through thick lashes, set a lump in her throat. She tried to swallow it, couldn’t, and simply grunted as she followed the little blonde to their car.

“What kept you?” she eventually asked, having gained her bearings.

“I was, um…” Krista blushed suddenly while she clipped her seatbelt in. “Nothing really.”

“Nothing doesn’t keep you busy for an hour.” Ymir started the car and threw Krista a knowing look. “I don’t even have to ask. You just thought about it now.”

Krista blushed and tried to hide her freshly applied make-up. “W-well you look fancy too! Why’d you put your new shoes on, huh?”

Ymir grew still and pretended to concentrate intensely on driving. “Tch,” she muttered. “Whatever.”

Krista sighed in relief and then grinned in triumph. She won this round!

The drive there became quiet, and even when they parked in the usually empty parking lot and found it full, they remained quiet. Krista only spoke when they stepped out of the car and she felt Ymir’s sweaty palm press to her own.

“Why are we so nervous?” she asked softly.

Ymir looked down and caught Krista’s gaze. She shrugged. “I guess we’re just being dumb.”

Krista smiled and pulled Ymir just as she reached for the handle. “Ymir, wait!” She tugged her down by her shirt and stared firmly into her eyes. Ymir blinked, flushed and then swallowed. Krista leaned in and softly kissed her lips, giggling softly when Ymir’s arms encircled her and she was lifted. The kiss became firmer, and then Ymir set Krista back down onto her feet, kissed her one last time, and straightened with a grin.

“Well I feel hella better now,” she exclaimed.

Krista enjoyed the flush on both of their faces. “Okay, let’s head in then. They might be waiting.”

Strangely, Adrian sat by the counter on his usual stool. He stood when they entered the store. “Ah, good. You’re finally here.” He ushered for them to follow him into the back room, and they followed. There was no one there, and Ymir and Krista shared a look. “We will not be meeting them here,” Adrian explained. He took his jacket from the table and slipped it on. “I will drive you there.”

“Wait, hold up here,” Ymir said. “You didn’t tell us about this meeting happening somewhere else. What’s with all the cars outside?”

Adrian sent a look over his shoulder. “The others arrived as you did, and were taken there. Do you expect us all to meet in my small abode, where our enemies might possibly lie in wait?” Ymir was silent. “Exactly. It is not safe here. We have somewhere that is. Nanaba and Raiden left earlier, only I stayed behind to escort you, unless you’d prefer not to attend?”

Krista waved her hand. “Oh no, we’ll definitely come!” She gave Ymir’s hand a squeeze. “It’s okay Ymir, we can trust Adrian.”

The tall brunette released a breath and then she nodded once, eased by Krista’s words. “Fine, let’s go.”

They followed Adrian out into the alley beside the shop, where his truck sat parked and hidden. After climbing in Adrian waited for everyone to get their seatbelts on, and then he drove away from the shop and out of the city.

Ymir recognized some of the scenery, since she had run around these parts with Nanaba. But she became nervous and jittery when they entered an area she did not recognize by scent. However, she knew that Adrian was trustworthy, and forced her paranoid mind to calm. Krista kept caressing her hand, too, and that kept her from breaking out into a sweat.

“We’re here,” Adrian stated. He shut the car off and climbed out calmly.

They were in front of a large cabin surrounded by thick shrubbery. Trees dotted the area, so big that they had to be ancient. Ymir stared up at them, feeling slightly better now that she was breathing in fresh air.

“Seems that we are all not here yet,” Adrian commented more to himself as he opened the large door of the cabin. Within familiar scents washed over Ymir, and she cracked a smile beside herself.

“Ymir and Krista!” Raiden exclaimed, attempting to run over to the couple. She was prevented by Nanaba clinging desperately to her shirt.

“Stop it!” Nanaba yelled. “Act like an adult for once.”

Raiden turned to look at her and stuck her tongue out. “Am not and refuse to be!”

Nanaba sighed deeply and released her, sending Raiden crashing to the floor.

The room they were in seemed to be a foyer of sorts. The interior of the cabin was much larger than how it would appear to be from the outside. Krista and Ymir both swept their eyes over the wooden ceiling, heads tilting back due to its size.

“This is like our secret hideaway,” Nanaba explained. “Built over hundreds of years ago and maintained by Adrian’s people.”

Adrian approached Nanaba and gave her a warm hug. “Where are they waiting?”

Nanaba smiled into his shoulder. “In the dining room.”

Adrian pulled back from the hug and headed down a long hallway, entering one of the large doors. He closed it quietly behind him.

“So, uh,” Raiden started. She was still on the floor, flat on her back. “When can I meet them? You’ve kept me here since we arrived!”

Nanaba rolled her eyes and yanked Raiden up by the front of her shirt. She then put an arm around her shoulder to prevent her from running off anywhere. “We’ll go now, actually.”

Krista giggled. “Nanaba, you’re like a protective parent.”

Nanaba and Raiden both sputtered. Ymir laughed outright. “Oh hell, she’s right!”

Raiden recovered quickly and realized the hilarity of the situation. She started to laugh and wanted to jump into Nanaba’s arms, but a large palm pressed against her forehead and shoved her away.

“Go to the others!” Nanaba exclaimed, exasperated. “We’ll follow you.”

Raiden forgot her need to add to Nanaba’s embarrassment and swirled on her heel. She then sprinted down the hallway, found the door Adrian had used and flung it open. Immediately her eyes widened and she broke out into a large grin.

“Maeve!” she yelled, overjoyed. The redhead bounded into the room.

They could hear yelling, someone growling and then a large crash followed by Raiden’s howl of pain.

“Oh god.” Nanaba pressed a hand to her face. “What will I do with this kid?”

“Put her in college,” Ymir suggested. “Or give her a spanking. Heard it works in parenting.” When Nanaba gave her a look, she snickered. “What?”

“Forget about that. I think we should see what the hell happened before anyone else arrives.”

Krista gave Nanaba a hug in comfort and tugged Ymir along. “Come here you trouble maker.” This time Ymir was the one to stick her tongue out.

They followed in Raiden’s footsteps but entered much more calmly. Raiden was on the ground, flat on her face, with Maeve sitting right on top of her. The white-haired cynan had her arms crossed, face calm. The only sign of her irritation and tension was the bulging of her shoulder muscles.

When the others walked in, Maeve cast them a look and smiled at the sight of Nanaba. She stood, ignored the redheaded runt and went to give her friend a hug.

“My luck!” she exclaimed. “We meet yet again.”

“But not under favourable conditions,” Adrian reminded. “This is not a sleepover, young ones. We are here to prepare for a war.”

“We know, Uncle.” A tall man, one that made Krista shudder and press to Ymir’s side, rose to greet the newly arrived group. Ymir recognized him as the guy she had given the envelope to.

“I remember you,” she said, approaching him. His handshake was firmer than expected. “I’m Ymir.”

“Mike,” he introduced. “And this is Ilse.” He moved to the side, smirking lightly in amusement.

Raiden was the only one to openly react, since she yelled and then clapped a hand over her mouth in embarrassment. “Sorry.” Nanaba ruffled her hair and laughed.

“I see,” Ilse said. She pressed her fingers to her chin. “So Mike wasn’t joking. We do look alike.”

Ymir lifted a brow and watched the freckled woman watching her. They tentatively tested each other’s scent, and then firmly shook hands. “This is weird,” Ymir admitted.

Ilse laughed. “I agree! But we’ll be working together from now on. I hope we get along well!”

Ymir nodded her head. “Sure.” She looked up at Mike. The big guy was eyeing her, sniffing the air. He returned to where he was sitting earlier, still watching Ymir with an impassive face. He now seemed bored, and his earlier amusement was gone. Ilse sat down beside him.

“Krista!” Hanji exclaimed from the door. She ran in, tail out and wagging, and tackled the small blonde in a tight hug. “I’m so glad you decided to come too!”

Krista caught Ymir’s eye and silently pleaded for help. Ymir, rolling her eyes, peeled Hanji off and gave her warning glare.

“Lay off.”

“Sorry, sorry!” Hanji lifted her hands in surrender, grinning. She noted the others, and hurried to greet Mike first.

“Alright, who’s left?” Ymir asked.

Adrian looked to his watch. “Rico and Berik. They will be arriving together. Everyone, take a seat in the meantime.”

Everyone obeyed, and Ymir and Krista snagged a loveseat. Raiden tailed after Nanaba and ended up sitting beside her, while Nanaba sat beside Adrian. Mike seemed content to remain absolutely silent, and offered no one a glance. Ilse hummed softly to herself to keep her mind off of the boredom as they waited, and Hanji pulled a book out from somewhere. Apparently she was the only one prepared.

“By the way,” Adrian suddenly said. Everyone looked to him. “When everyone is here, we will do transformation introductions.”

Ymir glanced at Nanaba. “What does that mean?”

XxX

A crackling fire lapped up at the darkened sky, illuminated all surrounding it. Light huffs filled the air, as well as thuds as large, padded paws scuffed at the ground. Krista watched them, more amazed than she had expected to be.

As Adrian had suggested, they were introducing themselves in their cynan forms. The first to have shifted was Nanaba, then Ymir and Raiden had quickly followed. The latter of the two sat beside Krista, tail thumping happily against the ground. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth, and it appeared as if her wide mouth was smiling.

Krista couldn’t resist and she reached out to pet the redhead. Her red fur was thicker than it appeared, but silky soft to the touch. Raiden whined in happiness and her ears folded back against her head. She immediately dropped onto her back, exposing her tummy.

“You want me to rub your stomach?” Krista asked, hesitant and slightly weirded out.

Raiden nodded and slapped her tail once against the ground. She whined again, and then wiggled closer until her large body was pressed against Krista’s knees. Her glowing golden eyes bore up into Krista’s, and the blonde could no longer resist.

“Okay, fine.”

Ymir casually glanced over and caught Krista giggling as she rubbed Raiden’s stomach, and her eyes narrowed. Nanaba caught her staring and lightly bumped her shoulder.

_Keep calm, it’s innocent petting._

Ymir huffed and turned her head sharply back to the fire. _Whatever._

Before them Maeve had just changed, and she trotted over to lick Nanaba underneath the jaw. She received a playful rub to the shoulder and then seated herself happily beside her blonde friend. She did, however, send Ymir an unpleasant look, but rid herself of it when Nanaba gave her a lifted furry brow.

Next was Mike, and he shifted in a bellow of steam. When the steam lifted, he stood the tallest of all of them. His immense size reminded them all of lycans, and the group shuddered together. At least Mike was a gentle, if not weird, giant. He merely plopped back down and rested his chin against his front paws. His eyes closed but his nose appeared to twitch every so often.

Ilse rolled her eyes at him and shifted next. She was only slightly smaller than Ymir, but had the same colour fur. She shook it, licking her thin lips, and sat down beside her large companion. Her dark hair appeared darker next to Mike’s much lighter shade.

Hanji changed quickly as well, and she went around greeting everyone with a lick to the jaw or a playful shove, tail wagging like crazy. When she was done she plopped down by the fire and barked once.

Berik and Rico hadn’t arrived yet, and though they had all tried to wait, they couldn’t any longer. There was no time left, and the lycans wouldn’t wait, either.

“Now,” Adrian spoke up. He stood left of the fire, wrinkled hands clasped together. “We are all here, because of a threat to our peace.” All cynans, and even Krista, grew quiet. The dogs’ ears folded back. Adrian’s tone left no room for anything but seriousness. “From here on out I will need you all to begin training as a pack.”

Nanaba made a loud whine that turned into a growl, nails digging into the soil. Adrian hushed her with a lifted hand.

“You will not perform the ritual. What I mean, is that to fight these lycans in the near future, you all need to learn how to fight together. Get to know each other, learn how everyone thinks. This might be our only way to win against them. Unfortunately, I am much too old to assist. So I will merely provide intelligence.”

 _Adrian, you help us more than you realize,_ Maeve vocalized. Krista could hear it too, and it was almost as if the white cynan had spoken out loud.

 _She’s right,_ Nanaba agreed. _Without you every one of us would have died out there. Don’t feel bad about being old._

Adrian chuckled and waved his hand. “Enough of the sentiments. Please spend the rest of the night communicating. Get to know each other. Know your scents well, for you will all be together for a while until this fight is over.” He pressed a hand to his lower back, wincing slightly. Nanaba stood in alarm.

 _Maybe you should sit,_ she suggested.

Adrian nodded and went over to Krista to take a seat there. He gave the blonde a warm smile. “And a warning to all,” he said loudly. “This is your human companion. Think of her as part of the pack. She is what aids in Ymir’s strength.”

Maeve lifted an eyebrow, Raiden cooed and Hanji laughed. Mike and Ilse seemed lost.

“They are a mated pair,” Adrian explained.

 _Oh!_ Ilse exclaimed. _I thought that they smelled oddly similar. Are you guys actually bonded?_ She approached Ymir, tail wagging hesitantly.

Ymir seemed unsure, but a sure look from Krista made her feel more comfortable. _I guess,_ she answered.

Mike finally seemed to animate, and he approached by Ilse’s side. Though still looking as bored as ever, he did raise a question. _How did you find each other?_

Ymir huffed in irritation and resisted the urge to send Krista a terrified gaze. Instead she decided to answer, and the others all joined in to ask questions. Eventually the subject changed, to how Mike and Ilse had met, which was a funny story, apparently. Ilse had mistaken Mike for a lycan at far range, and so their story went. They all shared conversation, getting to know each other again if they hadn’t been in contact for a while, or if they had just met.

After a few hours had passed, the mood was shattered when the group heard footsteps in the trees beyond. Mike growled first, hackles rising, and the others followed. It sounded like multiple engines roaring at once, and Krista pressed her hands to her ears. She felt something soft brush against her and looked up to see Ymir, ears pulled back and teeth bared, glaring fiercely where the others looked. She was growling as well.

Whoever was there was walking on four legs. All cynans could hear the pattern of four footsteps, two pairs. The wind was blowing in the wrong direction, preventing them from sniffing out who it was. There was a distant grumble from the trees and Krista realized that it was two sets of growling. Suddenly her heart dropped into her stomach, and she gripped onto Ymir’s fur with shaking hands.

Adrian stood and put a hand to Nanaba’s shoulder—the blonde had gone to his side immediately.

“Reveal yourself,” he ordered powerfully. Krista had never heard so much authority in his voice before.

The intruders did not respond. They seemed to be pacing, walking back and forth while they growled—it wasn’t sure why they were even growling, since they didn’t sound particularly angry. They were probably merely reacting to the others.

Krista watched anxiously, and she caught the glint of glowing eyes from the treeline. It sent a terrified shiver down her spine. The pacing continued, until it suddenly stopped. There was a long moment of silence, a hiss of steam and then a chuckle—only audible to the cynans.

“Since when did you assholes greet me like this?” a gruff, human voice exclaimed into the tense air.

Adrian pinched the bridge of his nose and relaxed. “Calm down everyone, it’s just Berik.”

The others relaxed immediately and licked their muzzles. Hearts were still pounding like crazy, and when a tall, muscled man with dark, spikey hair stepped into the light of the fire, some cynans growled in irritation.

Berik laughed loudly. “You should have seen you all!” he exclaimed, pointing. He wasn’t even covering himself, and Krista looked away before she saw anything—Ymir curled around her anyway, almost as if she was shielding her mate from the man’s very existence.

“Berik, that was very immature,” a woman stated. She stepped up beside him, just as naked, and rubbed at her eyes. She looked worn, tired—they both did.

Berik rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever Rico. I thought it’d be funny. So, who all is here?” He glanced around, finding faces he recognized—most glaring at him—and some that were new.

Raiden, sensing the thick anxiety still present in the air, walked forward until she surpassed Nanaba and stepped close to Berik. The black haired boy stared at her, eyebrow raised and arms crossed over his chest—Raiden didn’t care about his nudity, since her kind were desensitized to it already.

 _That was not cool man,_ Raiden growled. Her golden eyes narrowed and she injected as much anger into her inner voice as possible. Nanaba—Adrian especially—didn’t need the sudden scare.

Berik scoffed. “Who’re you to scold me, kid?”

Raiden snarled. _I’m not much younger than you, jackass!_

Berik shifted in a bellow of heated steam and Rico quickly put a hand to his shoulder. The boy had a tendency to act before he thought about it, and she didn’t need him to do something as stupid as attack a new acquaintance.

“Calm down you idiot,” she yelled.

Berik knocked her hand away with his large head and then his nostrils flared, exhaling hot air. _You talk big, mutt,_ he snarled back.

Raiden bristled, though a part of her felt the rising excitement of an oncoming challenge. _I act even bigger. You deserve a punch in the balls for that stupid joke!_

Berik laughed, but it sounded more like louds chuffs coming from his animal mouth. _Sure thing, if you say so. Look, I meant no harm._

 _Scared, are you?_ Raiden smirked as best she could, though her eyes showed it more intensely.

Now it was Berik’s turn to bristle and he stepped up to Raiden until his forehead pressed to hers. Their eyes met, molten gold on burning brown. _You’re the one that’s gonna shit yourself,_ he growled.

 _Raiden,_ Nanaba warned. _Don’t start something._

Berik chuckled. _Is she your mommy now, huh? You gonna back down and go and suckle?_

Raiden turned to cast Nanaba a burning glare. Nanaba narrowed her eyes in return, but took the warning and seated herself.

“Now, now,” Adrian voiced. “No need to make enemies with friends.”

Raiden almost pouted, but she kept her expression firm, forehead still pressed to the black cynan’s.

 _What do you suggest they do?_ Nanaba asked Adrian.

 _Let’s race,_ Raiden suggested.

Berik finally stepped away and scratched at the ground in approval. _I’m the fastest around, you have no chance._

 _We’ll see about that,_ Raiden responded. She looked to Nanaba and Adrian to see if they would allow them, and barked happily when the blonde cynan nodded once.

“There is a trail through the woods, around the cabin,” Adrian explained. “It ends at a cliff. Race there and back. The first one to finish, wins.”

 _You cool with the terms?_ Berik asked, mocking. He skipped around Raiden as if he was dancing.

 _I am, Mister Ballet Dancer,_ Raiden growled back. She didn’t want to smile, so she turned her head and released a breath.

The two of them lined up by the trees, Nanaba by their side. She let them know that foul play would not be allowed. They couldn’t afford injuries, since they needed to train starting the next day. If either Berik or Raiden tried to play dirty tricks on the other, they would both be punished severely.

 _And if you notice anything strange around here, forget the race and come back to let us know,_ Nanaba finished.

Raiden and Berik both nodded, faces sharing an identical determination. Among that there was anticipation and excitement. Raiden’s eyes were on fire, Berik’s muscles tenses and relaxed. Adrenalin filled them both.

When Nanaba howled to signal that they could begin, Berik was the first to shoot through the trees. Raiden was only a foot behind, but that gave Berik enough confidence to believe that he had won already. The redhead did not attempt to overtake him just yet. For now she concentrated on the path ahead of them, calculating how quickly she could traverse the trail. She knew that at some places tress had fallen and sharp turns were waiting. As long as she prepared herself for that, then when the opportunity arrived, she could rush past Berik before he could realize it.

Unfortunately Berik hadn’t been lying—he was incredibly fast. His much larger size allowed for larger strides, but he was overexerting himself too early in the game. Raiden could already hear him panting harshly, but she stopped herself from becoming excited and straining her muscles further. She made sure to keep her pace consistent.

 _Having fun eating my dust?_ Berik yelled smugly. _Let me know how it tastes when I cross the finish line._

Raiden let her tongue loll out, and instead of replying immediately, she quickly took the first bend, nails digging deeply into the soil and flying up behind her. She sailed easily around the turn, still not ahead of Berik and now slightly more behind. Berik’s turn hadn’t been as smooth, and he grunted softly to himself to regain focus.

Raiden snorted. _You totally nearly ran into a tree there._

_Sh-shut up!_

Raiden laughed and kept her head down to increase her speed. Her muscles were strong, possibly stronger than Berik’s despite his size. She had more experience with racing people of her kind, though she wasn’t sure how far Berik’s experience went. So far she had deduced that he didn’t run against others much, and probably mostly relied on dirty tricks to win. He hadn’t tried any yet, but might still. Raiden had no intention of disobeying Nanaba’s orders—not one bit.

There were multiple fallen trees up ahead, all lying on top of the trail. By the sudden shift of Berik’s muscles, Raiden could tell that he would veer off to the right and slip through the bushes, around the obstacle.

Raiden grinned—she had no intention of evading.

When they approached it, Berik hurled off of the path as Raiden had guessed, and the redhead tensed her muscles. Her jump was high enough to sail very cleanly over the dead trees and land perfectly after. However this gave her the lead, and Berik barked in irritation when he realized that she had jumped instead of following him—he’d hoped to slow her down by changing the path for a second.

Sweat began to collect underneath their fur and now Raiden was breathing hard. Only half of the distance had been covered. Berik was quickly growing tired, but he swept past Raiden as he had in the beginning and continued to run on. He didn’t realize that Raiden let him.

 _Do you even know why you’re here?_ Raiden asked him, her inner voice sounding as breathless as her human one would have.

 _Of course I do_!

_Then why’d you scare everyone? They didn’t need that._

Berik huffed, muscles bunching up due to more than the physical exertion. _It was a harmless goddamn prank._

They fell silent, only their harsh breaths and thundering steps filling the air. Even the animals in the forest had grown quiet, as if to watch the two magnificent beasts race through the trees.

Up ahead they noticed the cliff, and realized that they were close.

_Remember to let me know how it tastes, okay?_

Raiden exhaled loudly and growled once. _Not a chance._ Now was the moment, and she forced her body to exert every ounce of its energy. Now she was shoulder-to-shoulder with the male cynan, and he almost squawked in surprise when he glanced to the side and noticed.

They blasted around another curve, Berik nearly slamming into a tree, and sped up even faster. Berik realized now that he had been too eager and was growing tired very quickly. Raiden seemed to suddenly have a burst of strength, and had just taken the lead by a large margin. He huffed loudly, pulled his ears back and forced his legs to pump faster. It wasn’t enough, and Raiden burst through the trees before him.

She crashed to the ground, just narrowly missing the fire where everyone still sat, and panted harshly to catch her breath. Berik followed and collapsed beside her, wheezing painfully.

 _H-how did you do that?_ he asked. _I… I was sure… so sure that I would win._

Raiden shifted to her human form and spread her arms out beside her. Though a little calmer now, her heart still pounded and her chest still heaved. “You used too much energy too early,” she responded. “I waited and let you lead.”

“Damn,” Berik responded. He had shifted as well, and pressed a hand to his sweaty face. His entire body was sweaty, actually.

“You were fast though,” Raiden admitted. “I’ll forgive you.”

Berik chuckled. “I’ll apologise for being stupid, because damn you were impressive.” He sat up and ruffled the sand from his black hair, and then he stood unsteadily on shaking legs. The others were watching, with only Krista’s eyes being covered to protect her innocence. “You were amazing,” Berik admitted hesitantly. He offered a hand to the redhead, and smiled in relief when she took it.

“Thanks,” Raiden said. She squeezed his hand too tightly, and then shook it. “I think we could be friends.”

Berik grinned, straight teeth white and gleaming. “I’ll definitely have to race you again one day.”

Raiden dropped his hand and lightly punched his shoulder. “You’ll just lose again.”

Berik grabbed at the spot and gasped dramatically. “Oh no, you’re too strong for me!”

Raiden gave him a weird look, and then laughed. “You really are weird.”

Berik straightened and rolled his eyes. “Never claimed to be normal.”

Raiden squinted at him, and then after some deliberation she decided that she liked him, and wound an arm around his shoulder—Berik had to bend down, since he was much taller, but he did so without complaint.

“As long as you don’t do stupid things without me, I think we could be great friends.”

Berik pinched her side. “Yeah, sure, but let me go because you’re making my back sore with how short you are.”

Raiden scoffed and punched him for real this time, and Berik yelled out in actual pain. The fact that they were bare-assed did not register to them—at all.

Adrian seemed exhausted, but he chuckled at them and waved his hand. “Everyone, now that the excitement is over shift back to your human forms. It’s getting late. Explain everything to Rico and Berik when we’re inside.”

Nanaba changed back first and hurried to Adrian. She slipped an arm around him, brows furrowed. “Let me help you.”

Adrian patted her hand, smiled warmly and allowed her to guide him into their sanctuary.

It took a lot of yelling to get Raiden and Berik to stop bickering, and even more to get them to stop goofing around after. Even though Berik was incredibly tall, second to Mike, he was the second youngest among them—only a year older than Raiden.

The entire group eventually found themselves all in human form, clothed and seated comfortably in a large room scattered with couches and large beanbag chairs. Raiden and Berik were the only to seat themselves on the latter. They hadn’t stopped talking, and were either insulting each other, making promises for future races, or snickering over something naughty.

Adrian wasn’t there, and Nanaba entered the room a moment later, face drawn in worry.

“Is he okay?” Krista asked.

Nanaba smiled wearily and nodded. “Yeah, but I put him to bed. He’s been under a lot of stress lately, and it isn’t good for his health.”

Ymir gestured for Nanaba to sit by them, and the tall blonde did so. She was surprised when Ymir placed an arm around her shoulder, giving her a warm one-armed hug. “You’re good to him,” the freckled cynan stated. “As long as he has you, he’ll be fine.”

Nanaba did not want to burst into tears—which she was very close to doing. Over the past year she had been plagued by so many emotions. Memories had swarmed back to her, memories of a dark past filled with loneliness and pain, before Adrian had saved her. She owed everything to the man, but he was getting old and sickly, and it was starting to really show since this mess had begun.

“Thanks,” Nanaba whispered. She leaned into Ymir, sniffled, and Krista wrapped her in a hug too. The moment went on until Nanaba got a hold of herself, and then Raiden’s yelling from across the room caught her attention and Nanaba sighed, preparing to head over and scold her. Ymir grabbed her shirt to stop her.

“Leave that pup alone,” she said. “Relax for a bit. We’re safe here, right? She’s just messing around with Berik and getting her ass kicked by Maeve.”

“Whose ass am I kicking?” Maeve approached them and sat down on the nearest couch. She caught sight of Nanaba’s reddened eyes and grew concerned. “Nanaba, what is the matter?”

Nanaba waved her hand. “I’m just tired and stressed. No need to worry.”

Krista, for the first time, noticed that Maeve had a large scar on her cheek that ran down to her jaw. It seemed really old and healed over, and the origin was obvious, if Krista had learnt anything from Adrian. But she couldn’t stop herself from wondering about the story behind it, and Maeve caught her staring.

“Staring at my scar?” she asked.

Krista blushed and looked away. “I’m sorry.”

Maeve chuckled. “No need, pretty human. I am not afraid of sharing the story behind it.”

“Really?”

Maeve, usually unconcerned with humans, found herself charmed by Krista. She could not put her finger on it, but something about the little blonde just called to be liked, to be loved. And since she was mated with a cynan, Maeve had decided to accept her as one of her own—even though she still didn’t like Ymir much.

“It happened when I was still a pup. I’d just met Nanaba. Adrian had taken her in, and he wanted to introduce her to someone her age. He came over to my parents’ farm outside of the city. We enjoyed it there, but lycans were passing through that day. Nanaba and I were exploring the area, running around like the careless things we were. It was two of them, and while the one merely wanted to continue on, the other decided to have a little fun. He terrorized us for the better part of the day, not physically hurting us, but taunting us. Eventually it went too far, and the lycan accidentally scratched Nanaba’s back as his paw had come down in a mock attack. No one had expected to draw blood. I reacted by trying to attack the lycan, and I was smacked in the face because of it. The sensible lycan, his mate, pleaded that he leave us alone before our parents find out. Luckily he obeyed, and the both of them ran off. When we returned Nanaba and I were both bleeding. The injuries were only minor, though we have scars that will tell the story forever.”

“So you’ve known each other for a long time?” Krista asked, looking between the two. “That’s so sweet. I wondered why you seemed so close.”

Nanaba suddenly blushed, and Maeve was apparently the only one that knew why. She snickered and pressed a finger to her lips. “I had the most intense crush on Nanaba during my adolescence,” she admitted. Her eyes sparkled mischievously. “And we might have dated for a little bit.”

Ymir cackled. “Seriously?” She sent Nanaba a grin and started wiggling her eyebrows.

“It’s all in the past now. Maeve is married with kids and I’m alone.” Nanaba scratched her blushing cheek and cleared her throat. “That was a long time ago.”

Maeve sighed. “If only we could wilfully imprint. I would have chosen you, Nanaba. But it was not destined to be.” She seemed more amused than troubled, and thankfully decided to head over to the others for cleaner conversation. Maeve had also smelt Nanaba’s sudden depression, and felt slightly bad for triggering it.

“Nanaba, I’ve always wondered. Is it okay if I ask how Adrian found you?” Krista asked.

“What is he, anyway?” Ymir added.

Nanaba took a breath and rubbed the back of her neck. “He’s a druid. His kind has been our allies since before the slavery era. There aren’t that many left anymore. Adrian is the only one I’ve met. As for how he found me…. I was lost for a long time when I was really young. A lot of bad stuff happened to me, and by chance he found me. He got me out and then legally adopted me.”

Krista heard the reluctance in Nanaba’s voice. “It’s okay, you don’t have to tell us.”

Nanaba smiled. “Thank you.” Raiden started yelling again. “I think it’s time I finally head over there and beat some sense into her.”

Ymir and Krista let Nanaba go, and watched her. “She smells like depression,” Ymir commented softly.

“She looks sad, too. She must be really worried about Adrian.”

“It’s not just that.” Ymir pressed a fist to her chin. “It’s something else too.” Ymir had a little idea as to what it could be, but didn’t want to mention anything. For now all she could do was be there for her friend when she needed it.

XxX

When they returned home, it was already two in the morning. Krista kept yawning and Ymir decided to pick her up since she seemed ready to collapse.

“I can walk on my own,” Krista complained softly.

“Yeah and into the door. Just keep quiet and enjoy it.”

Krista obeyed and pressed her face to Ymir’s chest. She inhaled deeply, enjoying Ymir’s normal scent mixed in with something else. She couldn’t help herself and started rubbing her cheek against Ymir’s chest, humming softly.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Just shh and enjoy it,” Krista responded.

Ymir rolled her eyes and carried her little blonde to their bedroom. She placed her gently down on the bed and pulled her clothes off until she was bare.

“Ymir I’m too tired,” Krista whined.

Ymir scoffed. “I’m only taking your clothes off. Scoot over.” She pulled all her clothing off too and then climbed into the bed beside Krista. She pulled the blonde in, curled around her and sighed softly. “Nothing beats naked cuddling.”

Krista snuggled closer and agreed. “Mm, you’re warm.”

Ymir pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Go to sleep, babe.”

“You too.”

“I will. I’m just gonna enjoy hugging you for a little bit.”

“Okay.” Krista’s voice sounded faraway, and soon after, her breathing evened as she fell asleep.

Ymir ran the events of the night over in her head. She had learnt a lot, about Nanaba and Adrian. What the hell was a druid, though? Nanaba hadn’t explained it. But Ymir was tired, so she mentally shrugged it off and closed her eyes, more than ready to fall asleep too.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter will contain delicious*cough*I mean hectic smut! Enjoy!

Krista woke to a strange, rumbling sound. At first she thought that maybe it was an aircraft flying over their home, or perhaps a car on the street racing by. But it did not grow quiet, and she soon realized that the sound was against her ear. The blonde’s eyes cracked openly slowly, and then she sat up to yawn.

“Ymir?” She had been sleeping on the brunette’s chest, and Ymir had been growling in her sleep. She was switching too, and Krista had to suppress a giggle to wake her. A light shake to the shoulder did the trick, and Ymir’s eyes snapped open to reveal glowing brown. “Bad dream?”

Ymir blinked, confused, and then went right back to sleep. Her face calmed, the growling stopped and then her snoring continue where it had been interrupted in favour of a growl. Krista sighed and ran a hand through her dishevelled hair.

“Ymir, please don’t do this. I’m too tired.” She shook Ymir from side to side, mentally wishing her lover wouldn’t sleep-wake again. Ymir, when tired and stressed, would not wake. She would open her eyes, sometimes even speak a few words, but was still fast asleep. Waking her took great measures, but in all honesty Krista wasn’t in the mood to get frisky.

They had been up late, and the stress was getting to her as well. She might even be getting sick, but Krista didn’t want to dwell on that, and focused on getting Ymir up.

“Sweetheart, wake up, damnit!”

Ymir didn’t respond. She flipped over onto her back, arm flying through the air. She pressed her cheek to the pillow below her head and grumbled lightly.

Krista climbed on top of her and with one hand pressed to Ymir’s toned, bare stomach, she braced herself. With closed eyes, Krista slapped Ymir once, hard, in the face.

Ymir’s eyes opened slowly. Light finally returned to them, and then she turned her head to look at her blonde mate. “Krista?” She sat up, hand instinctively going to the sudden stinging on her cheek. A sudden yawn took her, and Krista sighed deeply as she pulled herself out of bed. “Did you slap me?”

“Yes honey, I slapped you,” Krista responded. She went over to their cupboard and rustled around for their usual outfits. After finding them, she tossed the clothes towards Ymir. “Get dressed. We have an hour to get ready.”

The clothes hit Ymir in the face, but she was too half asleep to notice. She didn’t even attempt to remove the shirt from her face, and began slumping forward. Krista hurried to pull the shirt off and steady Ymir with a hand on her shoulder.

“Why are you so tired?”

Ymir rubbed her eyes, yawning again. “Dunno. Sorry.”

Krista sighed and took a seat. She tapped Ymir’s stomach. “Lift your arms.” Ymir did as she was told, and Krista gently dressed her. Ymir was tired enough to let the blonde, though it wasn’t the first time. Getting her pants on was a little more difficult, but Krista was known for producing miracles. Afterwards she brushed Ymir’s hair—noting that it was getting long enough to tie up soon, and also noting that her cynan hair never grew when her human hair did, and that was completely weird.

“You’re giving me a weird look,” Ymir said, eyes watching Krista’s face with interest, though they were heavy-lidded.

Krista sighed. “Just thinking about nothing important. Come on, you need to brush your teeth.”

Ymir groaned and allowed Krista to pull her out of bed. It was rare that she found it extremely difficult to get up, and this was one of those rare moments. But her strength was steadily returning to her, and Ymir steadied herself when they reached the bathroom.

“Thanks,” she said softly, leaving Krista’s aid to step up to the toilet. “Gotta pee first.”

Krista shook her head, wondering if she had a lover or a child, and went to brush her teeth first. A minute or so later Ymir flushed the toilet and then joined her by the sink, notably more alert now than earlier. Krista could tell by the way Ymir’s eyes suddenly darkened, and when she rinsed the toothpaste from her mouth, Ymir had stopped what she was doing to give Krista a pointed look.

“Did you seriously slap me?”

Krista laughed—loudly. “It took you ten minutes to fully realize?”

Ymir scowled. “How could you slap me?”

Laughing again, Krista pulled her down to plant a firm kiss on her freckled cheek. “Easier than you think, actually. Are you awake enough to finish up on your own?”

Ymir huffed but nodded, and then finished brushing her teeth while Krista went off to grab her car keys. They would grab breakfast on their way to the cabin, where all of them were set to meet. Krista was ordered to go with, since no one wanted her home alone while the threat was still out there. The blonde needed to talk to Ymir and Nanaba about that, because she wasn’t completely okay with the fact that she wasn’t allowed anywhere without her mate. She was still her own person, whether the others liked it or not. Besides, she would be working soon. They’d have to learn to let her go.

The couple headed out to meet with the others in the early hour of the morning—Adrian had been strict about their training time, and said that they would need as much time together until they grew comfortable and familiar.

“Morning!” Nanaba greeted with a smile when Ymir and Krista stepped into lounge of the cabin.

“Good morning,” Krista greeted.

“Yeah,” Ymir grunted as some sort of greeting, and went over to a nearby couch to collapse and finish the lukewarm coffee in her hands.

“What’s up with her?” Nanaba asked.

Krista waved her hand. “She’s having one of those weird exhausted days.”

“That isn’t good,” Adrian suddenly commented. He placed a hand on Krista’s shoulder. “Have you been doing anything strenuous lately to wear her out?”

Krista blushed to the tips of her ears, and it was made worse by Nanaba’s snickers. “W-we only went to sleep when we got home! And no, we’ve been stressed lately.”

Adrian chuckled and gave Krista a hug. “I did not mean to embarrass you.”

“’S okay,” Krista mumbled against his shoulder.

“Just make sure that she gets enough rest. If she doesn’t focus then the others might hurt her by accident, or she’ll hurt herself.”

Krista grew sober immediately. “Okay, yeah. Of course.”

“Oh my god, are those idiots bickering again?” Nanaba growled, face steadily contorting in anger. Suddenly Berik yelled out in pain somewhere, and Krista hid a smile.

“It’s okay. I’ll sit with Ymir until everyone is here.”

Nanaba nodded absently and then went off to scold the youngest of the group, exhausted already. Krista went over to her love and smiled gently as she sat down on her lap.

“Why do you look so grumpy?” she asked.

Ymir ignored the question and sipped on the now-cold coffee. She played with the edge of Krista’s shirt, and then slipped her hand underneath to gently touch her hip. Krista’s face flushed, remembering Adrian’s question from earlier, and she leaned against Ymir’s chest.

“You smell nice,” Ymir muttered softly. She left Krista’s hip to run a hand through her golden locks, and then she placed her lips to Krista’s head, pressing a kiss there. Her free hand placed the coffee on a table, and then her arms circled Krista’s small body. “It makes me feel relaxed.”

Krista smiled gently, heart skipping many beats. She caressed Ymir’s arm, connecting the dots that were her freckles. “Are you okay?”

“You just smell nice.”

“Everyone keeps saying that.”

“Everyone needs to stop smelling you.”

Krista giggled, wrapping her arms around Ymir’s neck. “Are you jealous?”

Ymir nodded. “Yes.”

“Wow.”

“Kiss me.”

Krista blinked. She looked into Ymir’s glowing eyes, feeling the intensity of her gaze as if it were a hand caressing her soul. She shivered, and then she nodded and leaned in to press their lips together.

At first it was light and gentle, but Ymir drove it further. She pressed her tongue to Krista’s lower lip, and entered when given permission. She hummed lightly in pleasure when her tongue met Krista’s, grazing and sliding against each other. Krista’s hands dug into her hair, pulling lightly, but Ymir loved it.

Their hearts began to beat as one, and Krista felt intoxicated by the taste of Ymir in her mouth. It was something she could not get enough of, and she was reminded of this when Ymir pulled away suddenly. Whimpering, Krista followed her retreating lips and caught them. She ran her tongue over Ymir’s lip, bit on it lightly, and then explored further. Ymir’s canine fangs were out, and Krista traced the sharp edges with the tip of her tongue. Ymir growled, and then she cupped Krista’s face in her hands and pulled away to press a firm kiss to her forehead.

Krista collapsed against her chest, and then they merely sat there, breathing hard, together, and smiling.

“I love you,” Krista admitted hotly.

Ymir felt a spark of emotion through her chest and sucked in a deep breath before she chuckled. _I love you too_ , she replied internally. She pressed more kisses to Krista’s face, leaving not one inch of skin without love. Krista began to giggle, and eventually Ymir did too. Nanaba found them that way, and the blonde pressed a hand to her suddenly aching chest, though she smiled and cleared her throat.

“Adrian wants us to start,” she explained. “Everyone is here.”

Ymir didn’t pull away from Krista, but she sniffed lightly and caught the familiar scent of despair from her friend. She frowned lightly, but nodded and pulled Krista up with her. “Alright,” she said. “Let’s go then.”

All nine cynans—Ymir, Nanaba, Raiden, Berik, Rico, Mike, Ilse, Hanji and Maeve—changed to their other forms and met at a clearing in the woods. Adrian was there, and he smiled warmly at all of them. Nanaba went to join him, and she ran her eyes over the others before she sat down beside him.

 _We need to create a formation before we learn to fight together,_ Nanaba started.

 _Formation?_ Hanji questioned, tail wagging in excitement. _Sounds fun._

Rico rolled her eyes. _Seems like you haven’t changed much, Hanji._

Hanji sent her a wide smile. _And neither have you!_

Berik turned to Raiden, eyebrows wiggling as much as they could. _Rico is a bitch, so she always makes these nasty comments, but Hanji has always managed to give her just as much hell._

Raiden glanced around him at the cynans in question, mouth wide in amusement. _Oh? Smells amusing._

Berik rumbled lightly as he chuckled.

Nanaba sighed. _Berik, Raiden, please pay attention._

The two straightened, ears immediately standing up. They gave Nanaba apologetic looks, and then the tall blonde continued.

_We’ll go according to ability. Since I’ve been chosen as the leader, I will be in the centre. Raiden, you’ll flank my left while Ymir does my right. You’re both around the same in strength, but I’m faster than you both._

Ymir nodded lamely and Raiden sent her an excited look. _Got it!_ Raiden exclaimed. Ymir just huffed.

_Berik, you will stand beside Raiden, but remember not to attempt to outdo her. If you do, I will place you elsewhere._

Berik straightened and would have saluted, had his hands been available. _Understood! But why are you placing us next to each other?_

_You seem to get along well, which is important. You also match in speed._

Nanaba then turned to the others. _Rico and Hanji, you’ll both stand to Ymir’s side. Hanji, you’re quick with thinking and Rico is the first to sense anything near. I expect you both to communicate and let the muscle of the group know if anything happens._

Rico released an exasperated exhale but did not utter a complaint. Hanji gave her a playful slap with her tail, chuckling in amusement.

 _Let’s work together,_ Hanji offered.

Rico looked at her, ears folding back in disgust. _If I have to._

Hanji merely went in to give her shoulder a rub with her own, ignoring the fact that Rico leaned away from the touch.

 _Mike and Ilse,_ Nanaba turned to them, _you will both stand beside Ymir. Mike, your sense of smell is the best, so you stand at the end to detect anything out of the ordinary. It will be your job to tell Ilse, and since she’s quick on her feet, she’ll inform us all._

Mike nodded once.

 _I can do that,_ Ilse said, pleased with her role.

 _And what about me?_ Maeve asked.

_Since we are an uneven group, you’ll be our silent ally. You will stay in the shadows when the battle arrives. It will be your job to watch us and leap in if we need you._

Maeve seemed discontented with her position but nodded. She knew that it wasn’t best to voice her feelings, since they were based more on the fact that she wanted to be beside Nanaba and not in the shadows.

“Do you all understand your roles?” Adrian asked.

All cynans voiced their consent with various grunts or barks, and when they were done they quieted. Adrian then explained what they would need to do over the next few weeks in order to move as one fluid body, not as many separate ones.

Their first day consisted of listening and learning. When they all returned home, they were exhausted. The next day was brutal, since now they had to begin applying what Adrian had taught them the previous day. Ymir wasn’t as exhausted as she had been and had woken without difficulty. Krista gave her full support, to the others as well, and she sat on the side-lines with Adrian while the cynans began mock fighting with each other, and with an invisible enemy.

On the third day, Wednesday, Krista was rubbing Ymir’s back as the brunette panted loudly. Her freckles stood out more pronouncedly against her sweaty skin as she breathed heavily, calming down steadily.

“You okay now?”

Ymir nodded once, absently. Her eyes remained trained on the others as they did exercises in pairs. She and Nanaba had been first, and Ymir was recovering before having to join in next.

“You’re doing great,” Krista said. “Everyone is doing much better at anticipating the other’s moves.”

“Yeah,” Ymir agreed. “When we fight, it’s to study each other’s style. When we run, it’s to match our speed. But fuck, I’m tired.”

Krista rubbed her back again. Ymir was naked, but she was about to head back out anyway. “If you need a break, or a back rub, I’m right here.”

Ymir smirked lightly and then leaned up to kiss Krista softly on the mouth. “I’ll need more than a back rub tonight, if you’re offering.”

Krista blushed and watched as Ymir sprinted away, shifting and laughing.

Before she could slip into a contented silence as she had become accustomed to, her cellphone rang. It was a private number, and Krista’s stomach fluttered once in nervousness.

“Hello?”

“Krista! I am so sorry to call you this late. It’s Homura.”

Krista relaxed and smiled. “Oh, hi!”

“We had a little bit of drama here, so I thought it’d be best to call you in when we got it sorted out.”

“Is everything okay? I hope it was nothing serious.”

Homura chuckled lightly. “Just a clash of tempers. You’ll find that your co-workers butt heads more often than they should. Speaking of that, you should probably start working soon, huh?”

Krista lightly tapped her thumb against her thigh and bit absently into her lip. “Probably.”

“Well then, how about next week Monday? We have a new article that we’re working on, and it could use your creative touch. My boss is also eager to meet you.”

Krista’s heart pounded. “S-sure! What time?”

“Our usual work hours depend on how much work there is, really. The boss is surprisingly lax in that department. Look, come in when you can. We open at ten and close at five. Is that alright?”

Krista released a shaky breath. “Yes, that’s fine!”

“I’ll meet you in the parking lot and show you to where you will be working. I look forward to seeing you again.”

“Me too, and thank you again for this opportunity.”

Homura chuckled. “I’m not really the one to thank. See you tomorrow, Krista. Goodbye.”

“Bye.” Krista ended the call, and then she pressed a hand to her face as dread washed over her.

Ymir was going to freak out.

And as predicted, she did.

“Absolutely not!” Ymir roared, face flushed with anger.

Krista clenched her jaw tightly. “Ymir, I’m not asking you.”

Ymir sat up in bed, throwing the covers aside. “Have you even been present through this entire lycan fuckfest?”

“Calm down, you don’t need to shout.”

“I will shout if I want to!” Ymir yelled.

Krista grabbed Ymir by the shirt and pressed a hand over her mouth. “Shut up and listen to me, okay? Yes? Thank you.” She did not release her, even when Ymir’s glare almost burnt. “I need to start working. I cannot live under you forever. Even if we’re connected, I’m my own person too. When we’re not having some weird same body experience, we need to be ourselves, alone. I need this, and so do you.”

Ymir’s brows drew together and Krista let her go. “I can’t protect you if you’re far away.”

“That’s true, but they said that they won’t attack again. Adrian believes it, so I believe it. I won’t go far on my own. Homura is a nice man, I promise.”

Still not ready to accept it, Ymir shook her head. “I can’t leave you alone in any possible danger!”

“Is this why you’ve been super stressed out lately?” Krista eyed Ymir sternly, lips pressed together. “It is, isn’t it? Ymir, if you were human I’d be in just as much danger.”

“You don’t understand,” Ymir growled, desperate. “You could be _killed_ because of me. If they smell me on you, who’s to say they won’t attack you?”

Krista knew that it was true. “If I step out of the house, who is to say that I won’t be hit by a car that suddenly veers off the road?” she asked. Krista pushed Ymir down onto her back and firmly pressed a palm to her cheek. “If I stay at home, who’s to say some guy won’t break in and stab me? Huh?”

Ymir kept quiet.

“Exactly. Nothing. Life itself is a gamble. You can’t worry yourself into exhaustion because of things that might happen. I’m sure that when the lycans want to fight, they’ll let you know. When that time comes, I’ll be right by your side.”

Ymir’s eyes welled up with tears, but she quickly wiped them away with a huff. “Promise?” She was shaking, and her voice wavered.

Krista rested down and pressed her ear to Ymir’s chest. She pulled the blanket around them and then found Ymir’s hand to hold. “I promise. I won’t do anything stupid. I’d just like to get out on my own. I love being with you, but Adrian doesn’t talk much. It gets lonely.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Uh, maybe because you’d blow up like you just did.”

Ymir grumbled and buried her nose in Krista’s hair. She grumbled some more, and then sighed loudly. “I don’t even need to say it, but you know that I’m absolutely terrified of finding you torn to pieces.”

“You’ll run to my side before they even get the chance, I know it.”

“But what if I can’t? What if you’re in trouble and I don’t even realize it?”

Krista sat up and lightly slapped Ymir’s cheek. “Stop it.”

“You like slapping me, don’t you?”

Krista smirked. “Actually, I do.”

“We aren’t dropping the topic.”

Krista groaned in exasperation and sat up, straddling Ymir’s waist. She suddenly pulled her shirt off and then stared pointedly into Ymir’s suddenly wide eyes. “You won’t win this argument. I’m going to start working tomorrow. I didn’t go to school for nothing.”

Ymir swallowed, and as much as she tried, she couldn’t look up to meet Krista’s gaze. “But… but…”

“You’re gonna let me go. Please Ymir. Show me that you care by trusting my ability not to miraculously bump into a group of werewolves.”

Ymir broke from the spell and suddenly flipped them over, eyes fierce and eyebrows pulled together. “Krista, do you understand what losing you means to me?” She took a deep breath.

“I know, I can feel it.”

“You’re my fucking world, dumbass.”

Krista rolled her eyes. “You’re mine too, jerk.”

Ymir sighed and lifted herself to remove her clothing. She removed the last of Krista’s, and then sighed lightly when she felt the familiar touch of warm skin. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“And you won’t,” Krista assured. She ran a hand along Ymir’s tanned back. “If it makes it any better for you, I’ll call every day.”

“Twice a day,” Ymir demanded.

“Ymir, what are—okay, fine. Twice a day.”

Ymir chuckled and lifted her face to look down into pretty blue eyes. “When did you grow a backbone?”

Krista slapped Ymir’s chest. “I have you to deal with!”

Ymir leaned in and kissed her lips. “Yeah well you love me, so shame.”

Krista wrapped her arms around Ymir and drew her in. “I must really love you a lot to deal with your shit.”

Ymir brushed their noses and then caressed her neck lightly with a finger, tracing the fading lovebites that she had left there the last time they had made love. “A hell of a lot.” Ymir kissed her again, longer and more deeply. Krista could only hum lightly in agreement.

The blonde lost her hand in Ymir’s brown hair, and then she caught herself moaning softly when Ymir’s hand fluttered down her side, long fingers caressing along her skin.

“Still mad at me?” Ymir asked.

Krista sucked in a breath when Ymir circled around her hip, tracing hearts on the sensitive skin there. “Maybe a little.”

Ymir smiled—genuinely happy this time. She started another full kiss and pulled Krista’s leg up against her, causing the small blonde to suddenly groan loudly.

Krista found that in a matter of seconds her upset at Ymir’s outburst had faded, and now she was craving a different kind of outburst, the kind that made her ascend into the heavens.

“I’ve always wanted to have angry sex.”

Krista laughed and caught Ymir’s chin between her fingers. “Sweetheart, our first time was angry sex, remember?”

Ymir paused to remember, did so, and then her face darkened with a flush. She didn’t allow Krista to find anymore amusement, and suddenly kissed her with all the fierceness she could muster.

“I remember,” Ymir husked into Krista’s mouth.

“Oh do you?” Krista smirked and snuck a hand down their bodies, finding Ymir hot and wet for her already. When her fingertips swept through moisture, Krista’s eyebrow lifted. “ _Oh,_ you _do._ ”

Ymir shivered and studied Krista’s face, her own flushed and red. She could feel her heart pumping rapidly, love and lust coursing through her veins, heating between her legs.

Krista took the initiative and pulled Ymir down for another long kiss. With her hand between them she slowly began to stroke Ymir where she was most sensitive, evoking hot moans from the brunette’s mouth, all swallowed by Krista’s. With her free hand Krista encircled one of Ymir’s freckled breasts, squeezing firmly just to get a response. Ymir groaned and her kiss became frantic, her hips beginning to rotate.

“Stop teasing,” she growled.

Krista chuckled and ignored the plea. This was far too satisfying. More times than not Ymir would tease her to a point where she became suspended, unable to crash over the edge until Ymir let her. Now, with the earlier anger still fresh on her mind, Krista felt like doing the same.

So the blonde flipped them over—which wasn’t a difficult feat, considering how submissive Ymir had suddenly become—and lifted her hand to draw patterns on Ymir’s lower abdomen, coating it in her wetness. Ymir growled, unhappy. She cracked her eyes open and sent Krista a glare.

“That stare is only making me hotter,” Krista warned. “Not scared.”

Ymir huffed, opened her mouth to retort, and shut it quickly when Krista pressed a hard kiss to her stomach. It was unexpected and sent tingles throughout her body.

“Oh god,” she gasped, covering her face with a hand. Why was she letting Krista get the better of her? _‘Cause it feels fuckin amazing, probably,_ she thought.

Krista spent a long while pressing kisses to Ymir’s smooth skin, and when she reached the wet trail she had created, her tongue ventured out to lick it up. Ymir’s body almost exploded from the heat building inside of it, and she reached down to tangle her hand in Krista’s hair.

“Please,” she begged.

Krista smirked sexily and then dipped lower, licking and nipping the skin on and around Ymir’s hip. She did the same for the other side, and then she snuck her hand over Ymir’s quivering thigh as she situated herself properly between her legs.

“So I’ll be going to work next week,” she spoke, warm breath washing over Ymir’s heated centre. It made her suck in a deep breath.

“N-no,” Ymir attempted. “It’s too…” she hissed suddenly as Krista suddenly thrust two fingers into her. “Jesus.”

“I am going, Ymir.”

Ymir’s body tensed as Krista’s fingers slowly began to move, pulling out, pausing, and then slamming back in. The blonde left hard lovebites on Ymir’s thighs between loving kisses, and hummed softly in delight when she felt more than saw Ymir’s hot stare on her.

“Let me go and I’ll stop teasing.” Her fingers paused and Ymir whined.

“Krista!”

“What?” Krista trailed her tongue along Ymir’s thigh, going ever nearer to where her fingers remained stationary. She curled them slightly, upwards, and wiggled them.

Ymir felt everything, and with her heightened senses, it was driving her insane. Her heartbeat only continued to accelerate, and her mind confused itself between both of them. She was lying on her back one second, and then between her own legs, fingers buried deep. Krista felt the same, and she squeezed her legs together firmly to prevent herself from squirming—she was so wet already. Part of her was becoming impatient and sorry for Ymir, but the other wanted her to suffer a little more.

Ymir’s teeth grew out and she rubbed at her face with both hands. She growled once, took a breath and then whined. “Fine! You can go to this goddamn job.”

Krista smiled against Ymir’s skin, and then added a third finger and resumed her earlier motions. She skipped the teasing and put her mouth over Ymir, tongue flicking urgently over Ymir’s engorged clit.

Fingers curled, she listened to every noise that Ymir made and adjusted her speed and position accordingly. When Ymir went absolutely silent, Krista could feel that she hit a very sensitive spot, and focused all of her efforts there. Between flicks of her tongue and sucking, Ymir was fast approaching a glorious orgasm. It wasn’t often that Krista led their love making, but this was definitely something that Ymir wanted them to do a lot more often.

She swept her hand through Krista’s hair, her other hand grasping at the bed sheets, and shut her eyes tightly. Pleasure swept through her with every stroke of Krista’s fingers inside of her, and eventually her entire body tensed as she came.

Krista felt Ymir’s inner walls tighten around her finger and moved as much as she could, but stopped when it became too difficult. She ceased working her mouth, too, and pressed her cheek to Ymir’s thigh. Both of them were covered in sweat, and Krista’s jaw was already aching. It had been worth it, though.

Even though ripples of pleasure washed over Krista in the form of an orgasm too, she felt unsatisfied. She needed to be filled, to be taken and thoroughly loved.

Without waiting for Ymir to recover, Krista slipped off of the bed and pulled a box from underneath it. She pulled something out, shoved the box underneath again and then climbed back onto the bed.

“Put it on,” Krista ordered, thrusting a strap-on into Ymir’s face.

Ymir, sweaty and panting, lifted an eyebrow. “Why are you this horny?”

“Are you complaining?”

Ymir laughed once and took the thing from Krista’s hand. Her body was still numb and recovering, but she managed to put the straps on and adjust the attached fake penis. As soon as it was geared, Krista was climbing on top of her.

“Whoa, calm down,” Ymir said. She ran a hand through her hair. “Let me recover first.”

Krista couldn’t control herself even if she had tried. Pleasuring Ymir always set her on absolute fire, and now it was raging out of control. She needed it hard, and she needed it now.

“It’s okay, I’ll do the work.”

Ymir was about to make a comment, but grew silent to watch Krista sink down onto the toy, so suddenly. She really didn’t expect Krista to be this aggressive, but found that she liked it—a lot. Ymir bit into her lip and kept her eyes glued to her mate, enjoying the sight before her.

Krista sunk down to the hilt, eyes closed and teeth clenched together. She breathed heavily and slowly started rocking her hips, just to get used to the size of the toy inside of her.

“It’s been a while since we used this,” Ymir commented breathlessly. “You okay going this fast?”

Krista nodded once and leaned forward to capture Ymir’s lips. She kept one hand pressed to her stomach and then began to move her hips, sliding along Ymir slowly at first.

In the heat of the moment, Ymir’s mind tricked itself into feeling as though she was really inside of Krista. The exchange of sensations allowed her the pleasure, and she remembered why she loved using the strap-on so much. The first time had blown her mind, and now it was blowing it again.

Ymir took a hold of Krista’s hips and guided them, adding strength to Krista’s already powerful descents. The blonde started a long string of moaning Ymir’s name. After a while Ymir recovered and now, completely aroused again, she flipped them over so that she was on top and still hilt deep. She curled around Krista, leaning forward, and took a hold of her ankles to bring her legs over her shoulders. This spread Krista wider, and the blonde’s head titled as back as it could.

“Oh god, right there!” Krista moaned, hips jerking. During the position change the toy had moved _just right_ and oh god she was on fire.

Sweat trickled down Ymir’s back and a low rumble began in her chest. She dropped Krista’s legs to either of her, made sure to keep to the spot that had made Krista squirm, and then sunk her teeth into Krista’s shoulder, surging her hips forward, hitting the end of inside of Krista, and then withdrawing. They became even more synchronized, and moaned together at the same time. Krista yanked at Ymir’s hair with one hand, and dug her nails into her shoulder with the other.

Ymir moved to cup Krista’s breasts in her hands, and enjoyed the feel of them as she continued to slide in and out of Krista. Her own centre throbbed, as if the extension was a real organ. She licked at the skin pressed to her lips, and whimpered like a puppy when she felt their climax approaching.

Krista flushed brightly as she imagined the pure lewdness of her actions. She hardly felt a need to be this aggressive, and now it was all catching up to her. But Ymir’s whimpering beside her head was both cute and hot, and she released Ymir’s hair before she ended up pulling it out.

Ymir’s hips brushed against her thighs, grazing by as she thrust them as powerfully as she could. And when she came, they went still, and Krista wrapped her legs around her lower back to pull her in tighter.

The same pleasure ripped through them both, starting at Krista and ending at Ymir. After it subsided, Ymir released her bite first, and then she pulled the toy out. Krista whined softly at the sudden empty feeling, but sighed softly at Ymir’s body covering her own.

Ymir collected Krista in her arms and pressed a tired kiss to her brow. “Fuck me,” she exclaimed. “What possessed you?”

Krista’s face darkened with scarlet and she hid it against Ymir’s neck. “I was just suddenly very hot for you.”

Ymir laughed. “You eat me out like you’ve been hungry for months, fuck the strap-on like an animal, and only now get embarrassed?”

“Shut up,” Krista grumbled. She slapped Ymir’s chest lightly. “I’m not embarrassed.”

“So why are your ears so red?” Ymir leaned over, chuckling, and kissed the tip of Krista’s ear. It evolved into her nibbling on an earlobe, and then Krista groaned softly.

“I’m sore and tired,” she said, sighing.

“But I didn’t get to have desert,” Ymir replied. She kissed around the blonde’s ear. “You can stay awake a little longer.”

“Ymir, we just had intense sex.”

“I know, I was there.”

“If you make me go again…”

Ymir was already crawling down her body. “You say that now…” She grinned naughtily, clearly exhausted herself but apparently aroused enough—again—to exert more energy. Her fangs made her expression fiercer, and Krista shivered. “See? That shiver right there means you want my tongue inside of you.”

And Krista shivered again, and again, and then her head fell back and she moaned.

XxX

Thursday morning Krista woke with an ache between her legs. It wasn’t too bad, but it still made her groan lightly when she sat up. Ymir wasn’t in the bed beside her, which was a disappointment—Krista loved to watch Ymir sleep for a little while before waking her, either kissing her neck or caressing her naked back. This morning none of that was available, and Krista quickly slipped one of Ymir’s shirts on before she left the bedroom.

The scent of bacon and eggs filled the hallway and Krista followed it with her nose. It stopped at the kitchen—shockingly—and to Krista’s surprise Ymir was busy at the stove, apron covering her naked chest. She only had a pair of boy-shorts on, and Krista had a good, long look at Ymir’s freckled back before she said anything to distract Ymir from her humming.

“I don’t get to see this every morning,” she said.

Ymir smiled and glanced over her shoulder. “I smelt you before you spoke,” she said. Her grin turned lewd, and Krista blushed brightly. She took a seat at the table, cheeks scarlet and her legs pressed firmly together.

“I h-haven’t showered yet.”

Ymir chuckled. “Here,” she turned with two plates in hand, having finished by the stove just as Krista entered the kitchen. She placed them down on the table and took a seat in front of Krista. “Breakfast.”

Krista looked down at the plate, eyes wide. “You made this?”

“Yup.” Ymir grinned proudly. “All by myself. What do you think I’ve been doing here on my own when you’re out there with Petra?”

Krista looked to Ymir, eyes suddenly watery. “Ymir, this is so sweet.” She sniffled lightly and used the sleeve of Ymir’s shirt to wipe at her eyes. “I hope it doesn’t kill me,” she said with a laugh.

Ymir pretended to take offense, and grumbled into her hand. “I’ll miss you if it does.”

Krista tentatively dug into the food, raising a fork of bacon and egg to her mouth. While she chewed Ymir watched, nervous. When Krista’s eyes widened and she immediately went for more, Ymir smiled smugly.

“Fuckin’ finally!”

Krista giggled and then after swallowing another mouthful she leaned over the table to give Ymir a deep kiss. Ymir hummed happily, enjoying the taste of bacon on Krista’s tongue.

“You’re amazing,” Krista breathed after the kiss.

“Of course I am.”

Krista rolled her eyes, not at all surprised by the lack of modesty, and continued to eat. She would cherish this, because she knew how Ymir struggled to actually cook something edible. If this was her improvement, then there was hope for her yet.

They both spoke quietly over breakfast, teasing here and there and voicing thoughts from the night before. Krista blushed when Ymir mentioned how she would love to do it again, but knew that she wholeheartedly agreed. By the time they were done eating and showering, Krista had recovered from her insistent blush. They then headed over to the cabin, where they were the last to arrive.

“Sorry we’re late,” Krista said to Adrian. “Ymir didn’t wake up, and she made breakfast, so we had a slow morning.”

Adrian just smiled. “We did not wait long.”

They all went to the clearing again, and Ymir left Krista with a warm kiss before shifting and joining the others. Krista sat by Adrian in the shade, watching the cynans train with dedication.

The day went as the others had, and by Friday all of them had grown fairly comfortable with each other. Berik and Raiden were definitely buddies now, and Maeve had warmed up to Ymir a little. Nanaba, however, seemed a little distant than usual. Whenever Ymir left for a break and joined Krista by the side, Nanaba’s spirits would drop. Maeve noticed, and when they stopped for a break just before evening, she pulled Nanaba to the side to talk with her.

“Nanaba, what’s wrong?”

Nanaba’s blonde brows drew together. “Nothing. Why?”

Maeve frowned. “You’ve been acting weird lately.”

“I haven’t.”

Maeve pointed to Ymir and Krista, who were sharing a quick, sweet kiss before Ymir collapsed so that Krista could rub her back. Nanaba watched and looked away quickly, lifting a hand to rub at her chest. “See? You are doing it again. Why do you react like that when those two show affection?”

Nanaba’s eyes widened. She hadn’t realized that she was being obvious, and Maeve knew her better than anyone. Of course the white cynan would pick up on her weird behaviour.

“Nothing,” Nanaba said. She crossed her arms over her bare chest and scowled down at the ground, not happy that Maeve was asking about this.

Maeve took a breath and swallowed lightly. She was concerned, and though she didn’t like that she had to ask, she felt that she needed to.

“Have you fallen in love with Ymir?”

Nanaba immediately choked on her tongue and went into a coughing fit. When she recovered she shot Maeve a shocked look. “What?! Are you serious?”

Maeve rubbed a hand over her cheek. “Krista, then?”

Nanaba groaned and pulled at her hair. “No! They are both my friends. I have no romantic feelings for either of them.”

“So then…” Maeve bit her lip in thought. “So why do you look so broken when you look at them?”

Nanaba sighed and turned away. “It’s stupid, okay?”

“It can’t be stupid if it hurts you.”

Nanaba shook her head. “No really, I don’t want to talk about this.” She roughly brushed by Maeve and ordered everyone to return to their formation—they were practicing group coordination, with Maeve playing the part of an attacking lycan.

Maeve sighed and joined the others, wondering not for the first time why Nanaba was acting so weirdly, and what she could possibly do to help.

After another hour or two Ilse dropped out of the group and collapsed by Adrian and Krista. Nanaba allowed her to rest and pushed the others harder.

Ilse had fallen by Krista’s feet, and when she opened her eyes she caught Krista staring at her curiously.

“I’m sorry,” Krista said. “I didn’t mean to stare.”

Ilse sat up and pulled a nearby blanket around her nude body—Krista was clearly blushing. “No, no! It’s okay. I understand.” She stood and took a seat beside the blonde. “I look so much like your mate. It must be weird, huh?”

Krista nodded. “Very weird. You could be twins.”

Ilse laughed. “I never believed the whole ‘doppelganger’ thing, but it must be true.”

“So you really aren’t related in any way?”

“No, I don’t think so. I mean, we might be very distantly related, since we’re both of the same species. I’m just not sure. Genetics can be a funny thing.”

Krista agreed. “I really thought that I was seeing things when you introduced yourself, and then I thought that Ymir had a long lost twin or something.”

“I’m pretty sure we aren’t twins,” Ilse stated. “But it would be fun to fool people that we are.”

“Have you spoken to Ymir?”

“Not really. She’s really intimidating, you see.” Ilse sheepishly scratched her cheek. “I’ve only briefly spoken to her. All she really cares about is you.”

Krista rolled her eyes but smiled softly. “I should talk to her about being nicer to everyone.”

“You’re so lucky, you know.”

“Why do you say that?”

Ilse sighed. “For us, finding someone to mate with is our ultimate goal. We can faintly imprint on someone we’re compatible with, but we only have _one_ perfect person out there. For some of us that person has just recently died or hasn’t even been born. It’s such a rare thing to actually meet the person our souls are entangled with. It sounds like a wishful fairy tale, but it’s real.”

Krista felt Ymir’s eyes on her and looked up to meet her gaze. Ymir smiled beautifully, and the sight sent a wave of love through Krista’s chest. Ymir had to turn away to focus back onto training, but the feeling remained and warmed Krista from the inside.

“I guess I never really stop to consider how lucky we really are.”

“Bonding is a sacred thing for us. You’ll never find someone that will try to interfere with you. We respect the bond. It’s an instinct we can’t overcome.”

“Do you think you’ll ever find your special someone?”

Ilse watched the others fight, contemplating. “No. We… we can feel if our person is close to us. As far as in the same country, you see. It’s just this deep, throbbing ache. I know because my parents explained it to me—they were a bonded pair. And I… I’ve just not felt anything at all.”

Krista reached out and placed a warm hand on Ilse’s wrist. “Don’t give up.”

“I won’t die alone or anything,” Ilse said. “We can still fall in love like normal people, but it just won’t be that deep bond, like you have with Ymir.”

“Then I hope you find someone to love.”

Ilse smiled and gave Krista a loose hug. “I can see why Ymir is crazy about you.”

Krista blushed. Ilse gave her back a pat and then dropped the blanket to rush back into the group. She passed by Ymir who was walking towards Krista, in her human form, and Krista felt momentarily disorientated. It looked like Ymir just ran by Ymir, and it was a weird feeling.

“Hey, my freckled ass is the only one you should be looking at,” Ymir said as she plopped down in front of Krista and leaned against her legs.

“Oh shush. You know I only look at you that way.” She took Ymir’s face in her hands and leaned down to give her a kiss. “Besides, I was just looking at her back, not her ass. It was like you were walking by yourself. It was really weird.”

Ymir chuckled and reached up to caress Krista’s cheek. “You were blushing.” She could still see the fading blood behind Krista’s skin.

“All because of you.”

Ymir wiggled her eyebrows and then rested her head in Krista’s lap. “I’m so tired. I want to go home and sleep.”

Krista gently caressed behind her ear, earning a whine of appreciation. “Well, you’ll have to talk to Nanaba about leaving early tomorrow. We have to prepare dinner for my friends, remember?”

Ymir cursed. “Shit, I forgot. Who is coming?”

“Uh, Petra, Mikasa, Sasha, Eren, Annie, Berthold and Reiner, last time I spoke to them.”

At the mention of the last name Ymir grew quiet. “I haven’t seen that gorilla in a while.”

“Ymir! Reiner isn’t a gorilla. That was mean.”

Ymir snickered. “He still rubs me the wrong way. Maybe I’ll never get over the fact that he had a thing for you.”

“He’s over that now.”

“And I’m over wanting to rip his head off.” Ymir patted Krista’s knee. “But it doesn’t mean that I like him yet. I’ll be civil, but that’s as far as I can go.”

Krista placed a kiss on Ymir’s forehead. “Thank you for behaving, at least. Oh and remember to tell Nanaba to come as well. She promised.”

“I’ll be there,” Nanaba said suddenly. She approached them and reached for a towel in the pile of their folded clothes.

Ymir gave Nanaba a kick. “You better be.”

XxX

The next night Krista hurried around the kitchen, filling bowls with snacks—chips, peanuts and the like. Ymir was watching her with amusement, complaining that she should relax.

“I can’t! I haven’t seen them all in a while. I want tonight to go well.”

“It will.” Ymir grabbed Krista and pulled her against her body. “And you know why?”

“Why?”

“Because you make people warm just by smiling at them. Everyone loves you.” She bent down and brushed their noses. “And I’ll make sure that you don’t mess up. I’m right here by your side.”

Krista pressed her face to Ymir’s chest and sighed. “You say such simple things, but they mean so much.”

Ymir grinned and kissed Krista on the forehead. “Now go and shower, because you have that sexy dress to slip into. I’ll take this all out to the lounge.” She gave Krista’s side a pat, and then waited for the blonde to obey and disappear into the bathroom. When she heard the shower, she grabbed the bowls and dropped them off in the lounge on the coffee table. Afterwards she dropped down onto the couch.

Ymir wore black pants, black shoes and a dark blue dress shirt. She had the tie on, since Krista had insisted, and fiddled with it as she sighed. “Goddamn ties.”

The doorbell rang then, and Ymir jumped up to quickly answer it. For a spare moment she felt a flutter of nervousness, but then she snuffed it out and pulled the door open.

“Uh, hi Ymir.” It was Petra. “You look nice.”

Ymir nodded and stepped aside for Petra to enter. The orange-blonde wore a casual blue dress with a jacket in her arms. It would definitely get colder as the night went on, and Petra would need the jacket.

“Hi. Krista is in the shower. She’ll be out in a moment.”

“I’m sorry for coming so early,” Petra said. She took a seat on the couch, as far from Ymir as possible, and swallowed lightly. In truth she hadn’t really wanted to come, since she was still a little unsure. All she could see when she looked at Ymir was the glowing eyes and the sharp teeth. She was slightly frightened, but Ymir didn’t seem in the mood to attack her, and Petra hadn’t had the heart to skip the dinner and hurt her cousin.

“I’m not going to eat you, you know,” Ymir said, giving her a hard stare. Petra was unnerved by her gaze. “I don’t eat people. I turn into a giant dog, yeah, but I don’t eat peo—well I eat Krista occasionally, but that’s completely consensual.”

Petra blushed to her ears and sputtered for words. When none came, she shut her mouth and swallowed. She felt no better when Ymir snickered beside her. Eventually, she found her voice. “Look… I don’t trust you.”

Ymir shrugged. “I don’t care.”

“But Krista does. She isn’t scared of you, but I don’t really know if you’ll hurt me or not.”

Ymir scoffed. “If you attack Krista I’ll hurt you, but other than that I’m pretty docile. Look, I want to get along. We can’t do that if you think I’m going to go rabid and rip your face off.” She stood and held her hand out. Petra only stared at it. “You can shake my hand, I won’t bite you.”

The orange-blonde stood and shakily took Ymir’s hand in her own. It was firm and warm—too warm. Petra had expected it to feel different. Different how, she didn’t know. Having Ymir’s hand feel normal eased her nerves slightly, and Petra dropped her hand quickly.

“Do it for Krista,” Ymir said. “She’s the one that cares. She loves you and she loves me.” She shrugged. “She wants us to love each other too.”

Petra managed to crack a smile. “I’m sorry… I just… it was a really big shock, and being brought up, we’ve all been led to believe that creatures like you are dangerous. Fictional, but dangerous. I still don’t know how to really wrap my head around it.”

Ymir could understand that. “You’re cool for not trying to set me on fire.” She smiled. “Besides, you’re cute like Krista. I could never hurt someone that’s cute like Krista.”

Petra was shocked to feel herself blush. She slapped a hand over her cheek and scowled down at the floor, willing the blush to leave her. Thankfully Krista arrived then and she was saved from any further embarrassment.

“Petra!” Krista hurried to hug her cousin, smiling brightly in happiness. “I was worried that you wouldn’t come.”

“And miss this company?” Petra asked, pointing over her shoulder at Ymir.

“What?” Ymir asked, hands lifted in surrender when Krista sent her a look. She ended up chuckling, and Krista left Petra to give her lover a hug. “You look amazing, by the way.”

“Yes I do,” Krista agreed. She stepped on her tiptoes to kiss Ymir on the jaw, and then she took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “So, shall we sit and talk?”

They nodded and sat down, Ymir remaining quiet in favour of listening to Krista. She watched her little blonde speak, and admired the way her form-fitting dress made the blue in her eyes pop. For a little while she felt her breath leave her, and pressed a hand to Krista’s lower back just to touch her. Krista could feel her emotions, and she turned to give Ymir a soft look.

“What’s bringing this on?” she asked.

“Nothin’,” Ymir shrugged. “You just leave me breathless, is all.”

Petra giggled into her hand, finding the admission adorable. She was growing more comfortable around Ymir, especially after noticing how Ymir softened immediately with Krista near. She grew almost completely focused on Krista, staring only at her, listening only to her. How could she have ever thought that Ymir manipulated Krista into the relationship when she looked so entranced just by Krista’s presence?

“I never thought that you’d be the cheesy type,” Petra commented with a mischievous smile. Ymir sent her a glare, though it was more playful than upset.

There was a knock at the door then, and Krista was the one to hurry to answer it.

“Mikasa! Annie!” she exclaimed, throwing herself forward to give them a hug. “Where’s Sasha and Armin?”

Mikasa withdrew first to enter the house. “Sasha will be here a little later.”

Annie hesitated, and her eyes flicked to Mikasa before falling to the floor. “I broke up with Armin,” she admitted. “The wedding is off.”

Krista’s eyes widened and she gasped softly. “I’m so sorry… what happened?”

Annie looked to Mikasa again, who was staring back. She shrugged. “Just a clash of interests. How have you been?”

Krista and Annie went inside, the door closing behind them. They all seated themselves, Krista by Ymir and Mikasa and Annie on different ends of the room.

“I’ve been fine!” Krista answered. “I got a job, actually. I’m starting next week.”

“That’s wonderful,” Mikasa said. “I’m happy for you.”

“You’ll be a great asset, I’m sure,” Annie added.

Krista beamed proudly and she turned to Ymir when she felt her girlfriend gently touch her cheek. “Wh-what?”

Ymir said nothing and brushed a lock of hair behind Krista’s ear. Her deep brown eyes swept over Mikasa and Annie, and then narrowed.

They shared idle conversation, snacking on the nearby snack bowls and catching up on the latest events of their lives. After a while Reiner and Berthold arrived. Eren arrived upset a little while later, and Mikasa had to take him outside to talk him down from a tantrum. Petra then got a call from Levi, and she apologised profusely to Krista that she had to leave. Levi was begging for her to go to him, and she couldn’t say no. She left, and then Eren and Mikasa returned. Sasha called to let everyone know that she was too tired to come, and Mikasa didn’t seem to mind.

Despite the unexpected drama, when everyone moved on to the dining room, conversation became more cheerful and the laughter began. Ymir kept glancing at the door, a crease between her brows, and when Krista noticed she smoothed it out with a kiss.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nanaba is late.” Ymir sniffed at the air and sighed. “Your friends are all going through a lot of crap,” she stated. “I can smell all kinds of tension.”

Krista rubbed Ymir’s back and caught Reiner staring. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. “I’m sure it’s nothing too serious,” she said.

Ymir turned around to glance at Mikasa and Annie having a glaring match. “Yeah, sure.” She settled down but remained restless, worried about why Nanaba wasn’t pitching up. When there was eventually a knock on the door, Ymir sprinted to it so quickly that everyone at the table could only blink in surprise.

It was Nanaba, and she gave Ymir a lifted eyebrow. “Are you okay?”

Ymir scowled. “What took you so long? I thought you weren’t coming.”

“Sorry, I wasn’t feeling very well.” She rubbed a hand over her chest, wincing slightly.

“Heart burn?”

“Feels like it. So, can I come in or am I too late?”

Ymir rolled her eyes and stepped to the side to allow Nanaba in.

“You look hot by the way,” Nanaba admitted with a grin. Ymir laughed and punched her shoulder.

“You do too, in a non-homosexual way.”

“Oh please,” Nanaba laughed. She wore a simple pair of jeans with a tight, long sleeved grey shirt. It accentuated her toned and lean figure. “So where is everyone?”

“Nanaba!” Krista found them by the door and gave the tall blonde a welcome hug. “Ymir was getting fidgety.”

“So I heard.” Nanaba grinned.

Ymir mock laughed and then took Krista’s hand. “Okay, now that our last guest is here, let’s eat!” She hid her embarrassment and pulled Krista to the kitchen. Nanaba just laughed as she followed and then she paused when she noticed the group of humans. She immediately froze, unsure of what to do.

Krista pulled free from Ymir and went to Nanaba’s side. “Everyone, this is Ymir’s friend, Nanaba.”

Nanaba smiled as charmingly as she could. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you all.”

Introductions went around, Nanaba becoming a little less tense as it went on. Dinner commenced with food, and Nanaba stuck primarily to Ymir and Krista. The two cynans mostly remained quiet, listening to the talk around them. They did share a look, both smelling the tension in the air.

When everyone had left, Nanaba stayed behind to help them clean up. However, Krista insisted that she didn’t have to.

“Please, I really don’t mind,” Nanaba insisted.

“Krista, just let the idiot clean up if she wants to,” Ymir said with an eye roll as she collected the dirty dishes from the table. “She seems to really like cleaning.”

Krista sighed. “Okay, fine. Help us clear the dining room. I have a dishwasher.”

Nanaba smiled and helped Ymir carry the dishes to the kitchen, where they scraped food into the dustbin and then put them into the dishwasher. Afterwards they put the leftovers away, straightened the chairs around the table and then sighed when they were done.

“Thank you so much, Nanaba,” Krista said, hand on Nanaba’s arm. “I really appreciate your help.”

Nanaba playfully ruffled her hair. “You’re like a sister to me, and it was a big mess to clean up on your own.”

Ymir wrapped her arms around Krista’s neck, pulling her away possessively. “Yeah, thanks,” she said.

Nanaba rolled her eyes and then looked at her watch. “Well, it’s late so I might as well leave. It was a little awkward for me, but I did enjoy myself.”

They walked the tall blonde to the door. “Can we do it again?” Krista asked.

Nanaba seemed reluctant. “I’ll see.”

Krista sighed but let it slide. “Have a safe ride home, okay?”

Nanaba smiled and waved goodbye. “Don’t stay up too late.”

Ymir made no promises and then she and Krista watched as their friend drove off.

“I think tonight went really well,” Krista said.

Ymir snorted and kicked the door shut. “Did you really not notice the heated stares flying around the table?”

Krista paused on her way to the bedroom. “What do you mean?”

Ymir, deducing that it wasn’t important, rolled her eyes and shrugged. “Never mind. Now, let’s get you out of this dress and into something more comfortable.” After a pause, she grinned saucily and added, “Like me, for starters.”

Krista turned fully and smirked up at Ymir. She reached out, grabbed a hold of her tie and tugged on it. “I think that sounds really good.” She headed for the room, pulling Ymir along with her.

Had Ymir’s tail been out, it would have been wagging.

XxX

Petra sighed softly and rubbed at the sore muscles of her neck. She had just left Levi’s apartment, and after having to spend hours comforting him after a massive fight with Eren, she was exhausted. Not to mention that she was seriously bummed out about having to leave the dinner party early. She would have loved to spend the night together with all her friends.

On her drive home she stopped by the store close to her home. She felt like drowning her sorrow in chocolate, and continued to massage her sore muscles as she entered the shop and browsed through the small section of chocolates.

“Now what’s best to drown my sorrow?” she asked herself, eyes flicking over all the different brands.

“I’d say Cadbury is pretty good for a broken heart,” someone commented beside her. Petra startled slightly and looked towards the voice, startled again when she ended up having to look up because of their height.

“U-um, thanks,” Petra said nervously. She swallowed and wondered why her pulse was suddenly racing.

Beside her stood a tall, shorted haired blonde. The person was dressed very attractively, and their blue eyes were staring right through Petra’s soul. She felt like those eyes were claiming her, and a violent shiver swept through her body. When the person smiled, her heart skipped a beat.

“I’m Nanaba,” the blonde stated, hand outstretched.

Petra swallowed again and shakily took Nanaba’s hand. It was large and warm around hers, almost like Ymir’s. Petra suddenly thought of Ymir, but pushed the thought aside. “P-Petra,” she said. “Petra Ral.”

Nanaba smiled, so happily and gently that Petra, for a second, felt as though she knew this person intimately. Her hand shook more notably, and Nanaba refused to let it go. “So who broke your heart?”

“U-um…” Petra glanced at their hands, followed the line of Nanaba’s muscled arm to her strong jawline and then back up to those eyes. She kept being drawn to the eyes, and found her mind going blank when Nanaba stared at her so intensely. Eventually she regained her voice, and she lightly pulled her hand free. “No one, I’m just, um, a little miffed at my brother, so… and I have a craving for chocolate.”

Nanaba smiled, like she found the admission adorable. Petra didn’t even feel creeped out. She figured that she should. The way Nanaba was looking at her… it was abnormal. No one had ever looked at her like that, but she realized that she suddenly liked it, and when Nanaba eventually did look away, she craved to see it again.

Nanaba’s brows furrowed and her jaw clenched. She was not as calm as she appeared, and exhaustion suddenly took her. Petra felt concerned, but did not know what to say to this stranger. But when Nanaba turned, apparently preparing to leave, she couldn’t stop herself and rushed forward to grab her hand.

A tingle shot down her spine, and Petra’s, as well as Nanaba’s, eyes widened.

“Oh, um, I’m sorry.” She dropped Nanaba’s hand and pressed a fist to her chest.

Nanaba smiled. “It’s okay.”

As she started walking away again, Petra called out to her. “Will I see you again?”

Nanaba paused and sent a glance over her shoulder. “I think you will,” she said, smiling. She turned quickly and left, heat spreading out over her body from where Petra had touched her. When she reached the alley beside the shop she collapsed against the wall and fell to her knees, breathing heavily.

Her breaths came out as short gasps, and when she willed herself to calm, she pressed a hand to her forehead and inhaled through her nose. Many different emotions filled her body, primarily consisting of euphoria. However, her mind became clouded by many worries.

A single tear slid down Nanaba’s cheek and she laughed as she wiped it away. “Oh god,” she whispered. “I actually find her,” she leaned forward and put her head against her knees, “And she’s a human.”

Chuckling, Nanaba gathered herself and stood. From the shadows she was hidden, and Nanaba watched Petra as the small woman walked towards her car. She examined every inch of Petra’s face, and couldn’t stop her arm from lifting and reaching out towards her.

She was perfect. Her voice was perfect. Her eyes were perfect. Nanaba needed to get to know her. She needed to know who her soulmate was.

With a bellow of steam Nanaba shifted, clothes tearing and falling to the ground. She did not even care that she had just torn her nice clothes. All she could do was run, strong legs pumping as she weaved her way through the dark streets and houses. When she left the city, she continued to run, far too excited to stop or to care.

If a lycan were to show up now, Nanaba would have no fear. As she ran, she tilted her head back and released an ear-splitting howl. It was filled with so much emotion, and many howls soon sounded in the distance. They were worried, curious.

Nanaba would return to the others soon. For now, she ran—howled and ran.

 _I found her,_ Nanaba thought. _I finally found the only person I can love! And she’s just as amazing as I imagined her to be._

Nanaba spent hours running, exhausting herself until she had no strength left. Even when she collapsed due to tiredness, her excitement and happiness never faded.

She was not once disturbed.

 


	10. Chapter 10

 “It’s impossible,” Adrian exclaimed, face flushed with shock.

Nanaba swallowed the dryness from her mouth and grinned so wide that her cheeks hurt. “Impossible or not, it’s happened. She’s the one.”

Adrian lifted a hand to rub at his temple. “I’ve never heard of this happening before,” he said. “Of two binding pairs in the same vicinity. I mean, simply having two in the world at the same time is rare.”

Nanaba’s grin never faltered. “I don’t care about the possibility. I felt it when I saw her. I’ve been drawn to that area for months now, since the moment I met Ymir.”

“Perhaps Ymir is responsible?” Adrian suggested, fingers running over the hair on his chin. “Perhaps she has set forth a strange chain of events.” His shoulders dropped and he sighed, but he opened his arms wide and smiled at Nanaba. “But congratulations. You now have what your kind wants for most.”

Nanaba accepted the hug with a smile, and she sniffled to stop the tears.

They were in the lounge of Adrian’s flat above the store, sitting on the couch and sipping on tea. It was deathly early in the morning, and though she hadn’t wanted to wake Adrian, Nanaba had done so anyway. She couldn’t wait until later that day to tell him. The excitement in her chest wouldn’t let her.

“Well,” Adrian said, patting her shoulder. “Who is she?”

Nanaba’s face fell slightly. “She’s a human…”

Adrian grew silent, and then eventually he sighed. “Love is love, Nanaba. You can still mate with her. Look at Ymir and Krista. They’re happy.”

“Yeah but,” Nanaba ran a hand through her hair. “What if she freaks out when I show her what I am?”

“Even if she does, Nanaba, she will be drawn to you. The link is unescapable. She might force herself to shy away from you, but what she will really want is to run into your arms.”

“But what about pups? What if I want to have kids with her? She’s a human. It’s impossible.”

Now Adrian was the one to grin. “If it truly bothers you, I can contact my brothers and seek out the spell.”

Nanaba’s eyes snapped up to him. “It hasn’t been lost?”

“There’s a slight possibility that it’s out there,” he answered. “And if you want it, I will get it for you.”

“Thank you,” Nanaba choked. She couldn’t explain the torrent of emotions filling her body. She was exhausted, but it almost felt as though she needed no sleep. All she wanted to do was go to Petra, touch her, watch her, get to know her scent.

“What do you plan to do?” Adrian asked.

“Well,” Nanaba leaned back on the couch and considered it. “I don’t know.”

“Woo her,” Adrian stated. He smiled playfully when Nanaba shot him a look. “What? I’ve been in love before. I’d say, if you want her to love you for you before finding out what you are, woo her. Spend time with her and let her get to know you. If anything, she’ll be head over heels within an hour. You do that to people.”

Nanaba blushed brightly, but she grinned happily at Adrian’s words. It fed her reassurance, and all her worries were almost all being dealt with. Adrian always managed to do that, especially when Nanaba worried herself into sickness for nothing.

“So what should I do first?”

“You can track her scent—find out where she hangs out and bump into her. Ask her out on a date.”

Nanaba nodded, contemplating. “That’s a good idea.”

Adrian chuckled at the sudden determination on her face and gave her knee a pat. “Well then, I’m off to bed. It’s late.”

Nanaba stood and gave Adrian a nod. “Sorry again.”

“No need. Will you head home or sleep here?”

Nanaba considered it, and finally made her decision by going over to the hallway and pulling a blanket and pillow out of the closet there. “I fear that if I leave here I’ll end up outside of her house, and that would be weird.”

Adrian chuckled and waved over his shoulder. He was already down the hall. “Sleep well, Nanaba.”

Quietly Nanaba placed the blanket and pillow on the couch, switched the light off and then climbed underneath the covers. She was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of boxers from the stash that she always had at Adrian’s place. Raiden was at hers, and surely the redhead would demand to know where Nanaba had been. But the blonde didn’t care.

She dropped into sleep quickly, dreaming of honey-coloured eyes and a soft, pink mouth.

XxX

Krista grumbled as she was pulled out of a pleasant sleep by the insistent buzz of the home telephone. She briefly wondered why the caller hadn’t simply called her cellphone, but realized that it might possibly be Homura, or someone from the company. Though he had no reason to call, Krista assumed that it was him anyway.

She threw Ymir’s long arm off of her, ignoring the disdainful grunt in response, and bounded hazardously into the lounge where she snatched the phone just as it hit its sixth ring. Breathless, she pressed the button and held the phone to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Finally!” Petra exclaimed. “I’ve been calling your cell for the past ten minutes until I gave up and called your house number.”

Krista rubbed at her eyes as she looked up at the clock. “Petra, it’s seven in the morning.”

“I know. I was up early to go for a run.”

“I was asleep.”

Petra fell silent for a moment, and then she whined lightly and sighed. “I’m sorry, Krista. That was really inconsiderate of me. I was just… I was so excited, and I tried to keep it to myself since last night but I just can’t and—”

“Whoa, calm down,” Krista interrupted. She stretched her back and yawned, hand pressed to her mouth. “What happened?”

From behind her Krista felt a familiar presence and smiled before Ymir wrapped her up in a warm hug. She felt Ymir’s bare body press to her own, and sighed lightly when Ymir wrapped them both in the blanket they had been sleeping under a minute ago.

“Why’d you leave?” Ymir asked groggily, leaning in to press her face to Krista’s shoulder.

“It’s Petra,” Krista answered, hand over the phone’s receiver. She then put it back up to her ear. “Look, would you like to meet us out by that café?”

“Yes! Oh, um, unless you’d rather just go back to sleep. Tell Ymir I’m sorry.”

“She says sorry for waking us,” Krista told her lover.

Ymir grumbled but said nothing. She wrapped her arms around Krista’s small waist and slowly tugged her towards their room. “Tell her we’ll be there in an hour,” she told Krista.

Krista smiled. “Petra,” she said into the phone. “Give us an hour.”

Petra sighed in relief. “Coffee is on me! Breakfast too, if you want.” Ymir finally seemed to perk some at the prospect of free food, and she grunted hastily in agreement. “To make it up to you, for waking you up.”

Krista giggled at Ymir and then reached around to stroke her hip. “We’ll be there, and I think Ymir will be ready to order everything there.”

Petra groaned but refrained from complaining. Instead she said her farewell, and Krista happily set the phone down on their bedside table as Ymir pulled her all the way back into bed. Instead of getting frisky, though, Ymir merely pressed her cheek to Krista’s stomach, exhaled lightly and then sighed in happiness.

“We’re gonna cuddle?” Krista asked, smiling softly.

“Mm-hmm,” Ymir responded. She shut her eyes, arms wrapped around Krista’s waist, and enjoyed the way her mate’s slender fingers ran through her hair. “Lemme wake up a little,” Ymir suggested softly—though a few minutes into the caresses she fell asleep.

Krista allowed her the time, and when half an hour had passed, she woke Ymir with a light kiss to the ear. Ymir woke instantly, as if her brain had been set on a timer, and she leaned up to kiss gently Krista on the lips before she climbed out of bed and headed to the cupboard to find clothes for them. Krista watched her naked, freckled backside, partly wishing that Ymir had been in the mood, instead of simply wanting to cuddle.

“We can get it on later,” Ymir said, shooting a grin over her shoulder, “If you want.”

Krista felt no shame at admiring the one she loved and desiring her, so she merely lifted an eyebrow and then grinned rakishly. “If you’re offering.”

Ymir could just hear the chime in her voice, and she felt a small blush spread out on her cheeks. She hastily dressed, grinning, and then she went over to Krista to kiss her and hand her some clothes.

“But first, the cousin waits.”

XxX

When they arrived at the café, before Ymir even stepped out of the car she felt a nagging sensation, and seconds later her phone buzzed to life. It was Nanaba, and Ymir answered it with a lifted brow.

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

Ymir chuckled lightly and leaned against the car. “No, someone already beat you to it. So, are you calling to explain that howl from last night?” Ymir could sense the sudden stillness from Nanaba. “What, did you think we wouldn’t ask? It worried us all.”

Nanaba chuckled. “Could you come over to Adrian?”

“You there right now?”

“Yeah. I stayed the night.”

Ymir sighed softly and turned to Krista, lowering the phone to cover the receiver. “Nanaba wants to talk to me by Adrian. It’s probably about last night.”

Krista pressed a hand to Ymir’s arm and smiled. “Go to her. I’ll talk to Petra on my own. You deal with your cynan things, and I’ll deal with my human things.”

Ymir seemed reluctant to leave her mate’s side. “Are you sure?”

“Very.” Krista leaned up and pressed a kiss to her lips. “I’ll get Petra to drop me off by Adrian when we’re done.”

Ymir nodded once. “Okay. Call me if anything happens.” She gave the short blonde a tight hug, a kiss on the forehead and then she hopped back into the car. “I’m on my way,” Ymir said into the phone. “Meet you in five.”

Nanaba exhaled loudly. “Thank you. See you soon.”

Ymir didn’t respond. She ended the call and tossed the phone onto the empty seat beside her, wondering why she and Krista were suddenly in high demand. She also mourned the lost opportunity of free breakfast.

Krista watched the car drive off and then she sighed softly and headed to meet Petra. She was sitting close to the door, though she seemed distracted enough that she didn’t notice when Krista stepped up to the table. Krista waited, but Petra continued to look off to the side.

“Now I’m worried,” Krista voiced.

Petra startled, eyes shooting up to meet Krista’s. “Oh! Cuz!” She wiped a hand over her face, looking exhausted. “I’m sorry, my mind was busy.”

Krista smiled lightly and sat down in front of her cousin. Though she seemed amused, she was concerned. Petra was never usually this distracted. “Is everything okay?”

Petra sighed—it was a contended sound. “Everything is perfect.”

A perfectly blonde eyebrow rose. “Oh?”

“Yeah.”

Krista tapped her finger against the table. “So, are you gonna talk to me or did you call me here just to sigh like you’ve found the answer to happiness?”

XxX

Ymir scowled as she shut the car door and made her way into Adrian’s shop. He sat by the counter reading a book, and smiled warmly when he looked up at her entrance.

“And here I thought it was a customer,” he said playfully.

“You never get customers,” Ymir shot back with a smile. “Because we all know this shop isn’t meant for what it looks like.”

Adrian chuckled and then pointed over his shoulder. “Nanaba is upstairs. She has something interesting to tell you.” By the tone of his voice, Ymir could tell that Adrian already knew whatever it was.

Ymir didn’t comment further and merely headed up to Adrian’s apartment, eager to hear what Nanaba had to tell her. She figured that it was something ground-breaking, going by the sound of the howl Nanaba had released, and the way Adrian was smiling.

When Ymir stepped into the room, her eyebrow lifted at the way Nanaba stared out of the window, like her mind was a million miles away. She didn’t even react to Ymir’s presence, and seemed surprised when Ymir kicked at her booted foot before dropping down into one of the couches.

“Something amazing must have happened,” Ymir said, “Or you’re just losing your touch.”

Nanaba rubbed at the back of her neck and grinned lightly. “You’re right,” she said. “Something amazing did happen.”

Ymir’s eyebrow found itself lifting yet again.

XxX

“So I was heading home from Levi and I stopped by the store close by,” Petra explained. “Inside I met this amazing person. She spoke to me out of nowhere, and when I looked at her, I felt this sudden tingle run through my body.” Petra sighed dreamily, and Krista nodded for her to continue. “Her eyes… they captured me. She had the gentlest smile I’ve ever seen on anyone before. And the way she was looking at me…” Petra fell silent, blushing.

“Was it sex eyes?” Krista asked.

Petra’s blush intensified and her eyes bulged. “No!” she exclaimed, embarrassed just at the thought. “It was more intense, intimate… like we’ve met before. She seemed so happy to see me even though we’ve never met.”

In Krista’s mind she was imagining a creep, and she frowned lightly. “Well, did you flirt?”

“No, she left quickly.” Petra sighed, saddened that she hadn’t been able to talk to the stranger for longer. Just thinking of those blue eyes and that gentle smile made Petra’s pulse race. She was a little startled to find herself longing for the stranger, even though she did not know who she was. Was it normal to look into a stranger’s eyes and suddenly want to drown in them? Petra felt lightly embarrassed by her intense emotions, and she wondered if maybe she was nearing her period.

“Did she ask you out?” Krista ventured. She could see the look of longing in Petra’s eyes, and she was wondering who this stranger must have been to get Petra so riled up so quickly. Maybe this was the person that Petra has always longed for? Krista hoped so. She wanted her cousin to be just as happy as her, and if Petra wasn’t creeped out by the woman at the store, then maybe she wasn’t as creepy as she sounded.

The only thing that kept Krista from fully accepting the idea was Petra’s description. Strangers didn’t suddenly look at each other like they were long lost lovers. Why had this person done so? Maybe she was just really attracted to Petra, and the orange-blonde was a little too love-struck and had mistaken the lustful gaze for something more?

“No,” Petra sighed, this time sadly. “She only gave me her name.” She blushed lightly. “I asked her if I’d see her again, though, and she said that she thinks I will.”

_A stalker?_ Krista wondered.

“Well, what’s her name?”

Petra grinned lightly, like the name would summon the person if she said it aloud. At first she seemed hesitant, but then she gripped at her pants and took a breath. “She told me that her name is Nanaba.”

Had Krista been holding anything, it would have dropped. Her jaw certainly did, but she made quick work of picking it up, though she widening of her eyes only continued. “N-Nanaba?” she questioned.

Petra’s brows connected in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

Suddenly it made sense—the intimate look, gentle smile and sense of knowing each other. Krista pressed a hand to her mouth, heart pounding. Could it be? She did remember that howl last night, and Ymir had told her that it sounded too happy to be Nanaba, but it was definitely her.

“You said you met her last night?”

“I did, yeah.”

Krista chewed on her lip. Why would Nanaba act like that around a human? There was no way… could it be?

“Petra,” Krista rubbed her hands together, heart still pounding. “I know Nanaba.”

Petra’s face lit up. “Really?”

“I’ve wanted to introduce you to each other, actually. Things just kept getting in the way, and you left the dinner before Nanaba arrived.”

Petra’s heart was thumping unevenly in her chest, blue eyes flashing in her mind. She couldn’t believe her luck. But she refrained from asking questions, because Krista suddenly looked grim, and Petra worried that maybe Krista was about to tell her that Nanaba was in fact married with kids—or something of the nature.

“Nanaba is Ymir’s friend,” Krista said lightly. It was not her place to mention that Nanaba was like Ymir too, and the thought seemed to enter Petra’s mind. The orange-blonde straightened in her seat, face falling. Krista made no other comment on that thought. “I can still give you her number, though.” she suggested. At least Petra wasn’t asking her if Nanaba was a cynan or not, but part of Krista hoped that she would. It was clear that she was thinking about it, and if she didn’t ask, what would that mean?

XxX

Nanaba had decided to venture over to the window, where she stood broodingly. She had her arms crossed, hands clenched into fists. But her shoulders were relaxed, so Ymir did not worry and waited for her friend to finally speak.

“We’ve explained the concept of soul binding to you and Krista, right?”

Ymir frowned. “Yeah. What does that have to do with this?”

“Did Adrian explain it fully to you?”

Ymir considered it. “No, not really. Just that the bite connects our souls, and finding our true partner is impossible, apparently. Why?”

Nanaba lifted her hand to chew on her nail. “It’s incredibly difficult to find your soulmate. Adrian’s books say that when the lycans first emerged, it was a time of great magic. Some couples that truly loved each other put a spell on their souls. They would meet each other in each life, but they did not consider how big this world is. One could be born while the other just died of old age. There is no control over when their souls are reborn, or where.”

Ymir’s eyes widened slightly. “So you’re saying that Krista and I put this spell on ourselves a long time ago?”

Nanaba nodded. “In another life. You and she have both been reincarnated many times since then.”

Ymir wanted to laugh, but she realized the utter seriousness in Nanaba’s voice. This was not a joke. It was something sacred and painful.

“They also didn’t account for the pain it would cause, when they passed through lifetimes without meeting.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

Nanaba ignored her and carried on. “When our person is alive while we are, we will feel it. How strongly depends on how close they are. It’s an ache,” she placed a hand against her chest, and Ymir watched her. “A deep, longing ache right in the centre of your chest. It becomes more painful the closer you are. If you don’t feel it, chances are your soulmate is either dead or hasn’t been born yet.” She finally turned to look at Ymir, and a soft smile landed on her lips. “That’s why it’s impossible to find that person. With so many people and such a large planet, how do you find _one_ person?”

Ymir shrugged. “I managed it.”

“You might have done something in your past life,” Nanaba countered. She walked away from the window to join Ymir by the couch. “Adrian was up early this morning with the hunch. He told me that you could have found a spell that would help you find your mate.”

Ymir’s brows furrowed. “I’m a little confused here. Is that a bad thing?”

Nanaba laughed. “Not at all. Actually, Adrian would like to find out if you really did. He’d like to travel through your memories.”

“He can do that?”

“He knows a spell or two.” Nanaba’s smile turned excited. “If you did do something, then there is a possibility that you can help us all do it. We can all find each other more easily through every next life.”

Ymir’s eyes narrowed. “Is that why you asked me here? To pick my brain?”

“No. Adrian was going to ask you about it after this war with the lycans is done. I was just a little excited.”

“Okay?”

Nanaba seemed to colour red for a moment, but the gentlest look passed through her eyes and she gave Ymir a breath-taking smile. “I need your advice on something that only you can help me with.”

Ymir opened her mouth to ask what, but suddenly shut it. All at once it snapped together in her head—the ache of your soulmate being near, Nanaba constantly rubbing at her chest, the pain of being apart, Nanaba constantly looking depressed. Like a puzzle it all fit together, and Ymir’s eyes widened.

“Your person is close?” she asked softly, barely above a whisper.

“No,” Nanaba shook her head, smiling more widely. Ymir didn’t have to guess, and she suddenly pulled Nanaba into a fierce hug. She couldn’t explain why she suddenly felt so happy for her friend, but she knew that it was an instinctual feeling.

“You found your soulmate?” Ymir asked.

Nanaba pressed her cheek to Ymir’s warm neck and smiled. “I did. She’s beautiful.”

Ymir released the hug and laughed happily, clapping Nanaba on the shoulder. “So this is why you howled like a damn teenager last night!” her smile turned mischievous. “You didn’t bite her last night, did you?”

Nanaba blushed. “No! I only just met her last night. She’s a human, so… so I didn’t want to freak her out. I need to be careful about this.”

Ymir rolled her eyes. “Look, don’t do what I did. I was a stubborn asshole and I put Krista and myself through a lot of unnecessary pain. Don’t wait. Who knows how many lifetimes it’s been since you’ve just looked at her. I say go to her right now and confess everything.”

Nanaba liked what she was hearing, but she seemed unsure. “I would love to, but what if she becomes afraid of what I am?”

Ymir laughed. “Let me explain something to you.” She scooted closer. “The moment you looked at each other, that connection between your souls was brought to life. It was awakened. I’m sure you can both feel it now. It’s like this… this intense heat building all over your body. If you don’t find a way to release that heat, you feel like you’ll explode.” Ymir’s face dropped most of its harshness. Her cheeks flushed as she explained, eyes shining with the exact emotion she was describing. She also had a hand pressed to her chest. “You can feel that you will do anything to just be by her side. Your body will ache for her. Your soul will cry for her. And it’s exactly the same for her.” Ymir grinned and gave Nanaba’s nose a flick. “So even if she’s freaked out at first, she’ll get over it in like 0.7 seconds. She loves you _so much_ already, because she _knows_ you. Her soul knows you, and she’s been looking for you just as much as you’ve been looking for her.”

Nanaba listened silently, rubbing her nose where Ymir had flicked. Her heart was pounding and that warm feeling was spreading out just underneath her skin. Nanaba realized that Ymir was right—she had to be, since she experienced it every day. It made hope and happiness fill Nanaba’s entire being and she was lightly embarrassed to feel tears collect at her eyes. She laughed softly as she wiped it away.

“That is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard.”

Ymir seemed to feel no shame or embarrassment. “I’m done with keeping this mushy shit to myself. I’m lucky to have Krista, and I’ll tell anyone how much I love her. So do the smart thing, and go to this woman right now. I’ll fucking drive you myself. Take her into your arms and kiss her ‘til her toes curl.”

Nanaba laughed, cheeks dusting over with red. “You’re a real romantic, aren’t you?”

“Blame Krista. All her romantic fantasies fill my head when I bite her.” Ymir’s eyes sparkled. “And as soon as you can, bite this girl.” Her grin turned lurid. “Don’t even wait. Just bite her.”

Nanaba rolled her eyes. “You do realize that is equivalent to telling me to just sleep with her?”

“Exactly.” Ymir stood and placed a hand on Nanaba’s shoulder. “So you’re going to tell me where you met this girl, and then we’re going to sniff out where she lives. I’ll even tell her myself if you’re too scared.”

Nanaba knocked the hand away as she stood. “Wait… give me a little while to figure out what to say!”

Ymir grabbed Nanaba by the shirt and started tugging her towards the door. “You’ve had lifetimes.”

“But… but I don’t even know her yet!”

Ymir paused just before opening the door. “You do. You know her better than anyone! You just don’t remember. But you’ll know her _now_ the moment you bite her. You don’t even need to spend time together and talk and all that crap.”

Nanaba began to sweat, and her heart was quivering. Ymir saw this, so she released her friend and straightened.

“What’s her name?” Ymir asked.

“Wh-why are you asking?”

“I’ll set you up on a date or something. What’s her name?”

Nanaba hid her face behind her hands and heaved a great sigh. “Petra.”

Ymir went still, brows drawing together. She stared at Nanaba long enough that the blonde uncovered her face to look at her. “What does she look like?”

Nanaba saw the shock on Ymir’s face and wondered why it was there. “She’s short, with orange-blonde hair and these soft, brown eyes.”

Ymir stared for a moment longer, and then she quite literally fell to the floor laughing. Her laughter was so fierce that she even stopped breathing, shoulders shaking with every laugh that left her mouth. Nanaba bent down and attempted to shake her out of whatever fit she had just gone into.

“Why the hell are you laughing?!”

Ymir shook her head, like she’d forgotten to speak. Eventually she recovered, and she placed her arm over her eyes as she regained her breath. “Oh my god,” she choked out. “Oh my fucking god.”

Nanaba dropped down beside Ymir and waited, irritated and concerned. “Can you please stop acting like a creep?”

“Okay, firstly,” Ymir began, leaning up on her elbow. “Krista has been trying to introduce Petra to you since I can remember.” Ymir paused to control another fit of laughter that threatened to take her.

“What do you mean?”

“She’s Krista’s cousin. You would have met her at the dinner party, but she left because of her shitty brother.”

Nanaba felt herself grow frustrated. Petra had been this close all along, and she’d only felt it recently? Maybe Ymir really had done something to strengthen the bond, otherwise Nanaba might never have felt that Petra was near. It seemed like the sensation was beginning to thin out as more lifetimes went by. Eventually, they would just stop feeling each other at all, and they’d forget the promise that they made to each other so long ago.

“So… so you know her?”

“Yeah!” Ymir dropped onto her back, and then she suddenly remembered something. “Oh shit…”

“What?”

“She knows about us… well, me. She never believed Krista about the whole weredog thing so I changed in front of her.” Ymir grimaced. “And it made her pass out.”

Nanaba felt a violent urge to suddenly strangled Ymir to death, but the mental image of Ymir frightening Petra ebbed from her mind thanks to the many memories of the times she and Ymir had run together. Nanaba took a deep breath. “So is she repulsed by you?”

“No, she just thought I was going to eat her or something. But I think you’ll be fine, lover girl.” Ymir finally got up, and she held a hand out for Nanaba to take. “She might want to stay away from you, but the moment she looks at those baby blues of yours, she’ll be gone.”

Nanaba blushed as she was hoisted to her feet. “The way you speak you’d swear that you were into me.”

Ymir laughed and then she slapped Nanaba’s backside playfully. “Don’t flatter yourself, blondie.”

Nanaba rolled her eyes, but grew serious. “Ymir, um… since she knows about our kind, could you maybe give me some time to approach her myself?”

Ymir frowned. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. I don’t want anyone to interfere. I’d like to talk to her honestly myself. And besides, you might just scare her again and I won’t be responsible for what I’ll do to you.”

Ymir shuddered. “Okay, deal. But if you haven’t spoken to her by the end of the week, I’ll throw you both in the same room and only let you out when you bite her.”

Nanaba sighed, but smiled. “Thank you Ymir.”

XxX

Krista and Petra had sat in awkward silence. Petra was too afraid to ask, though she wanted to know, and Krista could see it. There was no confirmation that they did have the connection yet, but Krista was sure that her senses weren’t off. She was also feeling some intense feelings from Ymir, and since she’d gone off to talk to Nanaba, there was a chance that they were discussing the very same thing that Petra had called her here for.

Clearing her throat, Krista decided to start up conversation again and hopefully give Nanaba a better chance. “I’ve known Nanaba for the past year,” she said softly. Petra perked. “She’s really charming, you know.”

“She is?”

“Not just attractive, either. Nanaba is the kind of person that will do anything for those that she loves. She’s gentle and kind and faithful. If you’re interested, I think that Nanaba would really cherish you.”

Petra glanced down at her hands, blushing. A sudden warmth spread out from her chest to her arms and legs, though she hesitated. _But what is she,_ hung on her lips. The words would not leave her mouth.

“Nanaba is a very serious person,” Krista continued. “She won’t mess with your heart or your feelings. She’s honest and to the point, and lately she’s been a little lonely. Maybe you should give her a call? By the sound of it, she’s really interested in you.”

Petra wrung her hands together, nervous. “You really think so?”

Krista rolled her eyes. “Yes really. Nanaba has been waiting her whole life for only one person, and if she looked at you last night, then that person is you. She won’t look at anyone else.”

“But she doesn’t even know me.”

Krista chewed on her lip, tempted to mention all the cynan details that she was leaving out. She wanted to mention the bite, the connection of their souls, but refrained from doing so. If it was true, then it was Nanaba’s responsibility, and not Krista’s place.

“Just talk to her. Trust me. You’ll be into her more than you are into Nutella.”

Petra shifted uncomfortably but she seemed unable to stop herself from perking slightly at the idea. Even though her mind was worried about the possibility of Nanaba being like Ymir, her heart was still urging her to get that number and give the woman a call.

_I don’t want to be involved with a supernatural creature,_ her mind urged.

_But my heart aches at the thought of not being with her,_ her heart argued.

Petra rubbed at her chest, and then she cleared her throat and nodded. “Okay, fine. I’ll ask her out on one date and see where things go from there.” And if Nanaba really was a cynan, then she would gently turn her down and ask the blonde to leave her alone. If Nanaba was as Krista said, then she should listen to Petra’s request and honour it.

Krista smiled happily. “You won’t regret this, I promise.”

XxX

After Ymir left, Nanaba had thanked Adrian for letting her stay. When she arrived home she found the place a mess, and had only one correct guess as to who was responsible. Since she had disappeared without any word, Nanaba kept her angered yells silent for now.

It was already late afternoon, since she had stayed by Adrian for a long while to get her thoughts into order. Since Ymir was right, Nanaba had asked for Petra’s number and was planning on calling her as soon as she got home. But before that she needed to give someone a talking to, that that someone had just begun bounding for her in cynan form.

Nanaba didn’t shift and she caught Raiden around the neck with her strong arms. She held her until she stopped struggling, and then let go all together when Raiden shifted to human form and whined long and loud.

“Where were you? I though the wolves ate you or something!”

Nanaba put a hand on Raiden’s shoulder and frowned. “I just slept over by Adrian.”

“Was it you that howled last night?”

“It was.”

“Why?”

Nanaba sighed and straightened. “I’d rather not talk about it.” She made to walk into the lounge, but paused when two things happened. First, Raiden wrapped her arms around the blonde’s waist, and second, Berik strolled out of the kitchen with his mouth full of food and his body bare.

“N-Nanaba?” he sputtered, eyes widening.

Nanaba turned a glare down to the teen. “What the hell is he doing in my house?”

“I… I was scared!” Raiden exclaimed. She released her hold on Nanaba and got to her feet, all the extra drama drained from her face. Now she was serious. “I called Berik over and asked him to help me look for you. We came back a little while ago.”

“I also forgot to get naked before I shifted,” Berik explained, gesturing at his body. “So nude is all I got.”

Nanaba rubbed a hand over her face and then she waved it, indicating that the both of them should head to the lounge. “Sit down, I’ll get clothes for you,” she told Berik. “And you,” she pointed at Raiden, “Have no reason to worry about me.” Though she was irritated by the teenagers, Nanaba couldn’t help but smile happily to herself as she headed to her bedroom to find some clothes that would fit the boy.

Raiden caught sight of it, and her frown deepened. Her tense muscles eased, and she sighed when Berik threw an arm over her shoulder. “She okay?” he asked. “She smells weird.”

Raiden shrugged. “I dunno. I guess she’ll tell us when she wants to. Let’s go to the lounge before we make her more angry than she is.” The redhead shrugged out from underneath Berik’s arm and then changed into her folded clothes that were sitting neatly on the couch. While she was clothed and seated, Berik wasn’t. He waited patiently for Nanaba and then thanked her when she handed him a shirt and some pants.

“That should fit you,” Nanaba said, waiting for Berik to dress so that she could see if her assessment was correct.

Berik quickly tugged the pants up his legs and then threw the shirt over his head. They fit snuggly, and he smoothed the back of the jeans over as he looked down at himself. It was a sexy pair of clothes. “Thanks,” he said. “I appreciate it.”

Nanaba nodded. “They’re too big for me and I never got around to taking them back to the store. Keep them.”

Berik seemed genuinely pleased, and he wiggled his backside at Raiden as he smirked. “Look who’s sexy now,” he taunted. Raiden merely rolled her eyes.

“Look,” Nanaba spoke up, garnering their attention. “Something’s happened, and I'm not ready to tell you guys yet. I need you, Raiden, to stay by Berik for a few days. Can you do that?”

“I live alone, so that’s totally cool with me,” Berik said. He grinned. “And I also happened to have the entire Assassin’s Creed series.”

Raiden resisted the urge to yell in excitement. First she needed to make sure that Nanaba was okay. “Is it something bad?”

Nanaba chuckled. “Nothing bad, I promise. I need you to leave now. Just pack some clothes. Berik, did you drive here?”

“I brought my bike, yeah.”

Nanaba grimaced at the thought of these two idiots riding on a motorcycle, but supposed that they would survive an accident in the event that one happened. Their reflexes were fast, and they were both still young and strong. Still, Nanaba’s protective instincts kicked in.

“You both better have a helmet.”

“Of course!” Berik exclaimed. “Do you really think I’d take this idiot on the bike with me, without any protection?”

Nanaba didn’t answer him, and she did feel slightly better. Raiden stood and walked over to her. “Just call me if you need anything,” she said seriously. “I’ll literally run here as soon as I can.” She gave Nanaba a tight hug, eyes shut tight.

Nanaba hugged her back and sighed lightly, but smiled. “Thank you. Drive safely. And do _not_ do anything that I wouldn’t. If I hear that either of you did something illegal, you’ll both have to learn how to run really, really fast.”

Berik and Raiden swallowed audibly, straightened and then nodded together. They promised that they would behave, and then they headed out once Raiden was packed. Nanaba waved them off and sighed softly in relief when she was alone.

Slowly nervousness crept up on her, and Nanaba pulled her cellphone out of her pocket. After tapping the screen a few times she arrived at Petra’s cellphone number, and she stared at it for a long while, contemplating.

Should she call now or wait for the next day? It was nearing evening, and Nanaba didn’t want to bother the orange-blonde this late. But before she could come to any conclusion, her phone rang. Nanaba was utterly surprised to see Petra’s name in the caller I.D

Nervously she swiped the screen, and then she swallowed loudly and pressed the phone to her ear. Despite being nervous, her voice remained cool and confident. “Hello?”

Petra, however, was having a difficult time of keeping the tremors from her voice. “H-hi. Um, it’s Petra.”

Nanaba felt her body warm just at hearing the other woman’s voice. It was like her body had been tensed and stiff, and was only now relaxing thanks to Petra. Nanaba exhaled softly. “I see that you found my number,” she said teasingly.

Petra sputtered over the phone and cleared her throat. “Well, I’m Krista’s cousin, so she gave it to me.” She took a breath. “And, um, I was wondering if you’re busy later tonight?”

Nanaba smiled brightly even as her eyebrows lifted in surprise. “A date?”

“You can call it that.”

“If it’s for you, I’m always available.” Nanaba cringed lightly at her words. They had slipped out without her consent.

Petra, realizing that maybe Krista was right and Nanaba really was seriously into her, blushed. Her chest surged with emotion, and her stomach fluttered as if filled with butterflies. She could not deny that she enjoyed the way Nanaba had said that.

“G-great then. Krista recommended this place by Pinnacle Beach. Do you know where that is?”

Nanaba could already smell the sea salt in the air. “I do.”

“How does seven sound?”

Nanaba checked the wall clock. It had just hit five. “Perfect.”

“You, um, know what I look like.”

“I couldn’t forget a face as beautiful as yours.” Nanaba slapped her forehead and cursed herself silently, willing her foot to remain out of her mouth. Sure, she was being flattering, but she was sure that she was coming on too intensely for the human.

Petra, however, giggled. “Krista was right, you are honest and to the point.”

Now Nanaba was blushing. She cleared her throat and rubbed absently at her chest, where her heart was thundering too quickly for it to be normal. “So I’ll see you there, Petra.” She inhaled and exhaled slowly, attempting to regain her cool.

“See you there, Nanaba.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”

Petra’s smile faltered, and she frowned lightly. She knew that the night would only end one way—in rejection. How could she look at Nanaba when she rejected her? For now she pushed the thought from her mind, and said goodbye.

Nanaba smiled down at her phone after the call ended. Her body was buzzing with heat, and a cold shower was definitely in order. She wondered briefly how Petra had known that she knew Krista, but decided to leave that for their date. She planned to ask Petra many things—about her life, her past, her likes and dislikes.

Nanaba didn’t know when she’d have a chance to bite Petra to see her life first-hand. For now she’d find out the old fashioned way.

XxX

When Krista had been dropped off by Adrian after her chat with Petra, she was unsure of what she could say to Ymir. Petra hadn’t really specified if she should keep anything secret, but knowing Ymir, she’d find every opportunity to tease her blonde friend.

So during their drive home, it was uncomfortably quiet. Ymir seemed less inclined to ask any questions, and Krista had to keep hers at bay. They shot each other looks, and eventually, when Ymir parked in front of their house, the brunette sighed and rubbed her cheek with a hand.

“So Nanaba had something interesting to tell me,” she said.

Krista folded her hands together on her lap. “Oh?”

“Yeah.”

They fell silent, both wondering how to approach the subject. Eventually Krista took the initiative, and she reached over to touch Ymir’s shoulder. “About Petra?”

Ymir nodded. “Yeah. Did Petra tell you about Nanaba?”

“She did.”

The both of them chuckled. “Who would have guessed?” Ymir said.

“I can’t really tell like you can, but is it possible that the two of them have what we have?”

Ymir took Krista’s hand in hers and pressed a kiss to the back of it. She smiled brightly as she explained everything Nanaba had told her. Krista blushed in delight when Ymir relayed the mushy speech she had delivered, and when it was over she had to climb over into Ymir’s lap to kiss her senseless. When they pulled away, they smiled at each other.

“So they really are like us?” Krista asked. “What is Nanaba planning to do?”

“Well, she asked for Petra’s number.”

Krista’s grin turned mischievous. “I gave Petra her number. She’s going to call her tonight and invite her out to that really nice place by Pinnacle Beach.”

Ymir lifted an eyebrow. “You have that crazed look in your eye. What are you planning?”

Krista gently cupped Ymir’s face in her hands. “I say, let’s go out and watch them.”

“Like stalking?”

“We can stay in our car! The restaurant has glass walls, so we can watch them from the parking lot.”

“That’s a little creepy.”

Krista tilted her head to the side and frowned. “Don’t you want Nanaba and Petra to be happy together?”

Ymir grinned and brushed her nose against Krista’s. “I’m not saying that I’m not all for this idea.”

“So we’ll do it?”

“We’ll totally do it. Maybe they’ll need our help to get things moving along. What time is their date?”

Krista grinned again. “Seven.  I helped Petra plan it out.”

Ymir chuckled, loving her little blonde more so now than usual. “You can be devious when you want to.” She got out of the car, Krista in her arms, and took her inside.

They spent the next few hours talking and planning out their night. Papers rested on the dining room table, the two of them hunched over the detailed plans. While it seemed overdramatic, they were merely looking out for the people they cared about.

When the time finally came, Ymir and Krista drove quietly out to the location. They parked directly in front of the restaurant, and Ymir shut the car off with a large exhale.

“So we’re here,” she said.

“Petra is too.” Krista pointed forward, and Ymir noticed that she was right. The orange-blonde was seated by a booth, though they could see her perfectly. The light inside wasn’t all that bright, and there was a small oil lamp on the table, but Petra’s form was clearly visible. Thanks to Ymir’s better eyesight, the brunette could also make out the nervousness on her face.

“She looks tense.”

“I would be too,” Krista said. “I think she’s scared that Nanaba is like you.”

Ymir snorted and wrapped her arms around the steering wheel, leaning forward. “Oh please. The minute Nanaba bites her she’ll be hot for doggie love.”

Krista rolled her eyes. “In any case, I think you’re right. I was pretty freaked out with you at first, but I just couldn’t bring myself to leave you alone, or dislike you because of it.” The blonde reached out and placed a hand on Ymir’s thigh, warmth seeping through the brunette’s jeans. “Oh look, it’s Nanaba!”

Ymir had been looking at Krista—longingly—and so she quickly turned to where Krista was looking. Sure enough her friend had just climbed out of and locked her car, and she was now calmly walking over to the entrance of the restaurant. She was dressed more cleanly than usual, and it was clear that she had taken extra care to style her hair as attractively as possible. She wore a dark blue dress shirt covered in a black vest, black dress pants and what appeared to be expensive formal leather shoes—she was definitely pulling out all the stops tonight. 

As she walked she ran a hand through her blonde hair, fixing it back into place. She paused close to Ymir and Krista’s car—unaware—and took her phone from her pocket. She looked down at it, smiled lightly and then typed away for a minute or so. Ymir leaned forward a little more, intent on getting a close look of Nanaba’s face. What she had forgotten about was the car’s hooter, and when it suddenly honked loudly for a span of three seconds, both Ymir and Krista dropped in their seats, hearts pounding.

Nanaba nearly dropped her phone in her fright, and she looked towards the direction of the sound. Her blue eyes narrowed and she lightly sniffed the air. When she caught a scent that she recognized, Nanaba sighed and rolled her eyes. She went over towards the car—Ymir’s—and knocked lightly on the window.

Krista sat up first and rolled the window down. “Oh, Nanaba! Hey! Fancy seeing you here!”

Nanaba looked unconvinced. She flicked her eyes over to Ymir. “Are you two here to spy on me?”

Ymir was the first to snort. “Getting a little self-absorbed, are we?” she said, hard eyes looking over to Nanaba. “It’s not like we came out here just for you.”

Nanaba laughed. “Sure, if you say so. Are you going to have dinner here then?”

Krista and Ymir both grimaced, but forced themselves to smile and nod. “Y-yeah!” Krista exclaimed. “This place has amazing food.”

Nanaba grinned lightly and opened the door for Krista, bowing lightly. “You first, then.”

Krista shot Ymir a panicked look, but all her mate could do was shrug and open her own door. When they got out Krista joined Ymir’s side and took her hand. “I’ve been bugging Ymir to take me here for a while,” Krista attempted, smile strained. She had the direst urge to give Ymir the biggest head-butt of her life.

_This is all your fault!_ Krista yelled internally to her girlfriend. She felt Ymir’s hand tighten painfully around her own.

_You were the one that made it look like we’re here for dinner!_

_What was I supposed to do?_

_I don’t know, saying something else?!_

Nanaba could tell that by the looks on their faces, they were having an inner argument. She felt that putting them on the spot was punishment enough, and resisted her urge to laugh. “I have a date to get to,” she said with a smile. “So I’ll leave you two here to do what you were doing before.” She winked at them, grinning naughtily, and then she went over to the door. She waved once over her shoulder and then headed inside, now suddenly nervous again.

Even if they were a little irritating, Nanaba was glad to have seen her friends. For a moment she had forgotten how nervous she was, and that creeping nausea that had sat heavily in her stomach had disappeared. Knowing that they were near, watching and caring, made her breath come more easily. As long as they didn’t plan to pop up and interfere, Nanaba would be glad for their silent support.

Petra noticed her the moment she stepped inside, and when a waiter went over to Nanaba to ask where she wanted to sit, the blonde told him that she had a date. She then made her way over to the orange-blonde, heart fluttering wildly in her chest.

“H-hi!” Petra exclaimed when Nanaba took a seat. Her mouth was suddenly dry, and she was insanely glad that she had decided to wear the nicest dress that she owned. If she had come dressed more casually, this would have been awkward—not to mention that Nanaba was strikingly attractive, and Petra couldn’t help but let her eyes roam all over the blonde stud.

“I’ll just have a water, please,” Nanaba told the waiter. He nodded once and left. The blonde folded her arms and placed them on the table. She smiled. “Hi. You look amazing.”

Petra blushed at the way Nanaba said it, and how her eyes were roaming over her afterwards. When those blue orbs made it back up to her face, she cleared her throat and lifted a hand to mess with her hair. “Th-thank you. You look amazing too.”

Nanaba grinned. Petra was adorable, with the way her hands were shaking, and the thundering of her heart. Just by tilting her head lightly, Nanaba could clearly hear each beat of the smaller woman’s heart.

“Don’t be so nervous,” Nanaba suggested softly. “We’re here to have a good time.”

Petra looked down at her lap. _I’m here to find out if you are a weredog,_ she thought to herself.

“Have you been here before?” Nanaba asked, in an attempt to draw the orange-blonde out of her shell and get to know her a little.

“Not really,” Petra answered. “They built it recently. Krista was here once before, and she recommended it.”

Nanaba shot a quick look out of the window, to where Ymir and Krista were still sitting in the car. They both ducked when she looked, and Nanaba lifted an eyebrow. So this is how they knew where to get her. Krista must have planned this, though Nanaba didn’t really mind.

“So Krista is your cousin?” Nanaba asked. “We would have met earlier.”

“Yeah!” Petra rubbed at her upper arm. “I was supposed to be there for the dinner party, but my brother was having problems with his boyfriend acting weird and I couldn’t ignore him.”

“What’s your brother’s name?”

“Levi.”

Nanaba nodded once. The waiter arrived with her water and she slowly drank from it, trying to think of the next topic. However, Petra beat her to it.

“H-how did you meet Ymir?”

_Ah,_ Nanaba thought, _she’s probing for something specific, I can smell it._

“Ymir met my adoptive father, and he asked me to help her with some complicated stuff.” Nanaba relaxed back against her seat and ran the tip of her finger along the rim of her glass. “Ymir was having some problems that she needed someone like me to help her with.”

_Was it because of what she is?_ Petra wanted to ask. She didn’t.  “What do you think of Ymir?” she asked instead. 

“Ymir?” Nanaba took another long sip of water, contemplating. Petra watched her throat work as she swallowed, and she felt her cheeks dye a deep red. The urge to reach over and caress her neck was strong, and Petra quickly pinched herself on the thigh to bring her mind back to safer waters. “Ymir is an asshole, but a kind asshole. Unless you know her personally, she seems quite,” Nanaba sought for a word and waited to meet Petra’s eyes before she said it. “Scary.”

Petra shivered lightly. No matter what they talked about, it seemed, Nanaba would retain the same intensity in her eyes. All of it was directed solely at Petra, and she pressed her thighs together tightly, clearing her throat.

“She seemed really unapproachable when we first met. I didn’t understand what Krista saw in her.” She looked down at the menu she had her hands pressed against. “But then I noticed the way Ymir looks at Krista. It’s such a gentle look, like the only thing keeping Ymir settled on the earth is Krista, and Krista only.” She lifted a hand and pressed her mouth to it, frowning, brows drawing together. “For a long while I was jealous.”

Nanaba so desperately wanted to move over to sit beside Petra, wrap her arms around her and just hold her tight until the orange-blonde stopped shaking. She wanted to smooth the crease between her brows with her lips, and then press a finger to her lips, caressing them into a smile.

Her heart skipped a number of beats, and heat washed over her from every direction. Nanaba coughed lightly and then clenched her hands tightly together.

_I will love you like that,_ Nanaba wanted to say—to yell. _I will look at you like that for every second of the rest of our lives._ But she couldn’t, and knowing that hurt.

Frustration welled up inside of her and before her eyes could burn with tears, she felt her phone vibrate. It was a message from Ymir.

“I’m sorry, but would you mind if I quickly responded to this text?” Nanaba asked, eyes remorseful.

Petra immediately shook her head, hands waving. “Not at all! Take your time.”

Nanaba smiled in appreciation and tapped on the message. When it opened, she blinked, and then cast a look over to Ymir still in the car.

“ _Hey, you okay? You looked like your heart had just been crushed. Krista was about ready to rush in there.”_

The concern was touching, and Nanaba quickly typed out a response that she was fine, and that Ymir should not message her again. When she glanced over once more, Ymir gave her a solemn nod, and then a thumbs up.

They resumed their awkward conversation, both too nervous and uncertain. But Nanaba’s charisma caught up with her, and she found herself flirting a little too intensely. But Petra was responding to it with subtle flirting of her own. Throughout the night they spoke about everything and anything, though they danced around the topic that Petra wanted to mention most. She couldn’t bring herself to do it, since she was truly enjoying herself.

Sure, Petra had gone on dates with people before—men and women alike. She had been in a handful of relationships, but they couldn’t really be classified as “love”. In anyone’s adolescents, a mere appreciative glance from another would count as love. As a young, naïve girl, Petra had had her heart broken more times than she could count, and as a result she had grown a little weary of the concept of dating.

But with Nanaba, if felt different. Even though the blonde’s glances were nothing short of desperate and passionate, there was just an air about her that made Petra so comfortable and at ease that she found herself leaning forward, closer and closer to Nanaba until she noticed and quickly sat back in her seat.

Eventually all the food had been eaten, and the drinks had been finished. Petra felt a sudden overwhelming sadness at the thought of parting with her blonde date, so she did something irrational that she had never done before.

“Do you want to come back to my place?”

Nanaba seemed startled at first as she paid for her side of the bill. She quietly finished scribbling the amount of the tip and the total, and then she looked up and smiled so beautifully that Petra’s breath caught.

“Only if you’re sure.”

Petra nodded—she hadn’t asked Nanaba yet. It would be easier in her apartment. It would be more private, too. At least, this is what she convinced herself with.

Nanaba was completely calm as they left. She drove in her car while Petra left in her own. The blonde followed behind Petra, and she couldn’t help but imagine what might happen when they reached their destination.

Nanaba wasn’t a fool. She knew that it was most probably Petra’s plan to ask her the real questions. She would, and Nanaba was prepared. She would be completely honest, and she would use her words to win Petra over if her actions didn’t work.

They arrived at Petra’s house, and walked quietly alongside each other. Nanaba caught sight of Ymir’s car cruising by, and she sent a little wave their way when she was sure Petra wasn’t looking. A tanned hand stuck out of the window and gave her a passionate thumbs up, and Nanaba chuckled lightly under her breath.

Once inside, Petra guided Nanaba to the lounge and then nervously rubbed her hands together. “U-um, would you like some coffee?”

Nanaba opened her mouth to decline, and then she paused. She looked down at her expensive shoes, wondering if maybe she should be the one to broach the subject. She had noticed Petra struggling to through the whole night, and since she no longer felt nervous or shy, maybe she could stick her heart onto her sleeve and offer it up.

Nanaba swallowed thickly, and then she stood. Petra had been standing close, and she startled lightly when Nanaba moved so suddenly. They were almost touching, and Petra’s head fell back as she stared up at the dashing blonde before her.

Since she had almost fallen over, Nanaba reached out and caught Petra by the shoulders. She felt the heat of Petra’s bare skin on her hands and sucked in a deep breath. A weight settled in her stomach, and Nanaba really hoped that this wouldn’t end badly.

“Petra,” she started lightly, thumbs caressing her skin. She felt a shiver rock through the short woman’s body. “You’ve wanted to ask me something the whole night, haven’t you?”

Petra’s eyes widened, and though her mind told her to pull away from the touch, her body wouldn’t move.

“I could see it in your eyes,” Nanaba continued. “That there is something you need to know about me, something you’ve been too scared to ask. It’s okay to ask. I’ll answer honestly.”

Petra swallowed. How the hell had Nanaba known? Had Krista maybe spoken to her, warned her? Did this mean that she was right, that Nanaba really was like Ymir?

“I, um…” Petra didn’t know how to phrase it. Her mind went blank, her mouth dry.

Nanaba sighed lightly and then she gently pushed Petra to sit down on the couch. She then got onto her knees in front of her, and took both of  Petra’s hands into her own. “I’m like Ymir,” she admitted, eyes downcast. “I’m a weredog like her, too. I’ve been a cynan longer than she has.”

Petra went stiff, but Nanaba continued.

“You might not like the idea of what I am, but it won’t change the way I feel about you. If you give me a chance, if you let me show you what you need to see, then you’ll understand everything.” Nanaba finally looked up, eyes glowing like they would in her cynan form. They were pleading.

Petra felt herself drown in those eyes. Instead of feeling a shiver of fear, like she did with Ymir, she felt a wave of heat. It seared through her body and simmered along her skin. She unconsciously tightened her hands that were still clasped in Nanaba’s. The thought to pull her hands free had never entered her mind.

“We’ve been together before,” Nanaba explained softly. She was leaning closer, eyes searching. “In many lifetimes. I’ve loved you in the past, and you’ve loved me to.”

Petra’s heart jumped into her throat. While the notion seemed ridiculous, considering what she had been brought up to believe, she found herself slowly leaning forward too and believing every word that left Nanaba’s lips.

Petra glanced down at them. They were thin and wide, but probably soft and warm. A shiver went through her, and she closed her eyes to take in deep, even breaths. The closer Nanaba leaned in, the warmer her body became.

“Why do I feel like this?” she choked out.

“Because of me,” Nanaba answered. “If you let me bite you, then it’ll go away.”

“B-bite?” Allowing the word to pass over her tongue felt intimate, like she was saying something sexual. It made her body burn further, and her mind no longer seemed to think of Nanaba as something strange—something that shouldn’t naturally exist. Suddenly Nanaba felt like a person, someone Petra had known her entire life, had longed for her entire life.

“I won’t hurt you,” Nanaba husked softly. She was absolutely terrified of overstepping boundaries. If Petra pushed her away now, there was no telling what the smaller woman would think of her afterwards.

“I’m scared,” Petra uttered, though she felt no fear course through her. “What are you?”

“I’m Nanaba,” the blonde responded. She lifted Petra’s hand and pressed it to her chest. “Feel that? My heart is racing like crazy.”

Petra shuddered and released a shaky breath. She furrowed her brows. Nanaba’s heart really was pounding hard, and knowing that the blonde was just as affected by the moment made Petra sigh lightly in relief. When she opened her eyes, she found that Nanaba was really close. Those eyes were watching her. Though the colour was unnaturally blue, almost shifting between dark and light, Petra thought her eyes were beautiful.

Nanaba’s face was flushed and her chest heaved. She kept Petra’s hand to her chest, kept their fingers intertwined with the other. Her nostrils flared lightly, and Petra noted that Nanaba’s pupils were dilating.

“Are you okay?” she asked softly, concerned. She pulled both hands away to gently touch Nanaba’s face. The skin was warm, and Nanaba’s eyes shut as she leaned into the touch. A strange sound rumbled in her chest, almost like a purr. Petra’s hurt burned.

“I’m perfect,” Nanaba said, smiling. Her eyes flashed open once more, and there was a question in them.

Petra did now know how she knew, but she could see it. It was almost as if the question had been spoken, and with a shudder she parted her lips to answer.

“Bite me.”

Nanaba’s eyes widened, and then she leaned forward towards her neck, lips eventually pressing to the quivering skin there. “Are you sure?” she asked, hot breath washing over Petra’s skin.

Petra didn’t know what she was asking for yet. But Nanaba’s warmth was washing over her and it was intoxicating. She found her arms wrapping around Nanaba’s neck, and then she exhaled loudly and nodded.

Nanaba’s mind raced. “It… it might hurt a little.”

“Do it.”

“Right here? On the couch?”

Petra pulled Nanaba’s face back, her own flushed and red. “Please just do it before I change my mind.”

Nanaba studied her eyes to make absolutely sure that she was certain, and then she leaned forward and captured her lips—she couldn’t bite her without having tasted her lips first.

Petra whimpered and tugged Nanaba with her so that they were lying fully on the couch. Her hands grew a mind of their own and began unbuttoning her vest, even as the kiss intensified and Petra’s mind went numb.

Nanaba shrugged out of the vest and helped Petra unbutton her dress shirt. When the buttons had been taken care of she threw her shirt off and growled lightly when Petra’s hands pressed against her naked back, warm and shaking.

They kissed more fervently, Petra unable to stop a moan from falling out of her mouth. She no longer wanted to push Nanaba away; in fact, she only wanted to pull her closer.

“Take it off,” she ordered softly, forcing Nanaba’s hands onto her dress. It felt like the clothes were suffocating her, and she desperately needed to get out of them.

Nanaba did as she was told and pulled the zipper of the dress down. As she did she felt Petra’s hands work at the zipper of her pants, and a wave of warmth swept through her again. The dress slid off easily, and then Petra was left in nothing but her underwear. Nanaba quickly pulled her shoes and pants off, and then she paused to run her eyes over Petra’s body. She gripped the backrest of the couch, tearing into it lightly because her claws had grown out.

Petra watched her nervously, chest heaving and face scarlet. “Wh-what?”

Nanaba leaned back down to kiss her—hard. She whimpered like a puppy when Petra moaned, and then she left her lips to trail kisses along her jaw and throat. “You are breathtakingly beautiful,” she stated softly, making Petra shudder. “I’m going to take you now, on my fingertips and between my teeth.”

This time Petra moaned simply due to the words, and she pressed a hand to her mouth in embarrassment. Nanaba’s hands disappeared around her body to unlatch her bra, and then she felt the cool air brush against her shivering skin when the fabric was tossed to the floor. Nanaba didn’t touch her yet, and Petra found herself growing frustrated. Nanaba’s lips disappeared from her skin, and suddenly her body did too. When Petra opened her eyes, Nanaba had pulled the last of her clothes off, and was looking at her with so much emotion that Petra felt tears pour over her cheeks.

“Why are you crying?” Nanaba asked softly. She pressed her hand to Petra’s hip, thumb caressing circles.

“Who are you?” Petra asked tearfully. Her tears weren’t sad—they were happy, bountifully happy. The emotion burnt through Petra’s entire being, and she really just wanted Nanaba on her, all over her… in her.

Nanaba smiled gently and released the couch to wipe Petra’s tears away. She leaned forward, pressing a firm kiss to her forehead. “I’m the one person that will love you for eternity.” Her hand drifted from Petra’s hip to her thigh, and her lips moved over to her neck—she couldn’t bite her just yet. There was something they needed. “May I?” Nanaba asked. She brushed her fingers over Petra’s covered crotch, shivering lightly at the heat there.

Petra wasn’t a virgin—she had been with people before. But she suddenly felt as though this was her first time. Even though she didn’t know Nanaba yet, it seemed that her heart did. So she nodded, desperate, and gasped loudly when Nanaba tore her underwear off and then entered her so suddenly.

The pleasure was glorious, and she wrapped her legs around the blonde’s waist, pulling her in. Nanaba rocked her body slowly, kissing all along Petra’s neck and chest. She couldn’t believe that this was happening.

The dream from before, of when she had been making love to someone, flashed before her eye. She realized then that it had been Petra in her dream, and Nanaba’s eyes flashed dangerously. 

Her teeth came out, long and sharp and a growl rumbled in her chest. Petra felt it vibrate through her body, but she could not find it in her to be scared. All she could feel was the pleasure tingling in her lower back, caused by the long fingers to expertly moving inside of her. She let go, and arched up into Nanaba, desperate for the most intimate contact.

Nanaba pressed herself against Petra. She enjoyed the way Petra’s thighs pressed tightly to her hips, quivering and tense. The urge to bite was becoming unbearable, so Nanaba removed her lips from Petra’s skin and used her free arm to push herself up, above Petra. She watched her—the way her lips were parted, allowing moans to fall from them; the way her skin was hot and flushed, covered in a light layer of sweat; the way her breasts bounced lightly due to the force of Nanaba’s thrusts; and the way her teeth came down over her bottom lip, biting and tugging.

Heat washed over Nanaba, and even though she had not bitten her yet, it was almost as if she was feeling all the pleasure along Petra’s body.

“Nanaba!” Petra moaned, eyes flashing open. Her gaze met Nanaba’s, and she smiled before another moan took her and she arched upwards, head tilting back, throat fully exposed.

Nanaba felt the tension coming to a close, and she quickly leaned over to press her lips to Petra’s skin. Seconds before she reached her climax, Nanaba finally opened her mouth and sunk her teeth in as deeply as they would go. Petra moaned in a mixture of pain and pleasure, and then her entire body shuddered violently, heat flashing through her limbs.

In that second it felt as though she had just left her body, and everything that Nanaba was, became hers. She held Nanaba desperately, crying.

Nanaba whimpered, careful not to move her teeth. She remained that way until Petra stopped shuddering, stopped gasping for breath, and was only quietly sobbing. So the blonde pulled out of her, unhappy at having to do so, and wrapped the orange-blonde in the tightest hug she could, given that they were both shivering, mostly numb and exhausted.

Nanaba gently licked at the skin against her mouth and then slowly, carefully, she removed her teeth and pressed a kiss to the wounds. The taste of blood covered her tongue, but it wasn’t that bad.

“Petra,” Nanaba spoke, calm and soft.

Petra lifted a shaky hand to run through Nanaba’s hair. She finally understood, and the feeling of their connection made her chest burn. She felt everything Nanaba felt, like it was her own feelings. She could see Nanaba’s entire life before her eyes, and she knew that this was her person. Her _only_ person.

“I missed you so much,” Petra whispered. She no longer sobbed, but tears still slid down her face.

Nanaba’s lower lip trembled, and then she curled into Petra, pressing her face to the smaller woman’s neck, careful of her bite wound. Nanaba’s shoulders shook.

“I missed you too, more than you’ll ever know.”

Petra gently caressed the back of her neck and then behind her ear, grinning lightly. “It’s been so long.”

“I finally found you.”

“We’re finally together again.”

Nanaba’s hold tightened. “I love you.”

Petra kissed her shoulder, eyes shut tight. “I love you too, Nanaba.”

They remained that way, listening to each other’s heartbeat and breathing, enjoying their shared warmth.

And Petra finally understood.


	11. Chapter 11

Monday morning Petra was the first one to wake. She felt soothing warmth against her skin, and realized that she was not resting on a pillow, and was in fact using Nanaba instead. The blonde was fast asleep under her, head turned to the side.  When Petra cracked her eyes open, she noted that Nanaba’s hair was all messy. It was adorable.

Smiling, Petra lifted herself slightly to climb on top of Nanaba, and rested fully on her body. It was all warm and comfortable, and she sighed lightly as she rested her head down on Nanaba’s chest, almost ready to head off back to sleep. But she folded her arms and then rested her cheek on them, eyes open and watching Nanaba’s face.

 _How can someone be so perfect?_ Petra thought to herself. She felt her heart thud in the same way it had last night, and moved one of her arms so that she could lightly trace patterns against the skin of Nanaba’s jaw. She trailed her finger down to her throat, along her collarbone and then finally to between her breasts. Petra sighed—it was a content and satisfied sound.

Nanaba stirred slightly, but made no move other than furrowing her brows. She relaxed as quickly as she had tensed, and Petra continued to watch her handsome face.

There was a scar just above Nanaba’s hip, and Petra found her hand venturing there to caress it. The injury was long since healed, but it looked severe in Petra’s eyes. She could just vaguely remember seeing the memory of the incident, since her mind and Nanaba’s had been connected when she’d been bitten. The memory was fuzzy, due to it not being hers, but one clear thing that stood out was sharp claws, loud growls and the glow of frightening eyes. Petra couldn’t figure out what the beast must have been, but assumed that it was just another cynan—she knew nothing of the species yet. She was determined to ask Nanaba when the appropriate time arose, though.

It was raining outside. Just lightly enough that it further lulled both Petra and Nanaba into peacefulness. Petra continued to caress Nanaba’s skin, blushing lightly when Nanaba released a low moan in response. Afterwards she fully shifted, turning onto her side and pulling Petra down with her. The orange-blonde yelped in surprise and then she calmed when Nanaba’s laugh quietly filled her ear.

“Mm, sorry,” Nanaba mumbled. Her eyes were still closed, but she curled around Petra and buried her nose in her hair, inhaling her scent. She understood now why Ymir seemed so fond of doing it with Krista. It was almost like taking a hit of drugs—intoxicating.

“I thought you were asleep.”

Nanaba chuckled softly again and then pressed her hand to Petra’s stomach, thumb caressing her skin. “I was, but your feelings woke me.”

Petra blushed lightly. “You could feel that, huh?”

“Oh yeah, all the way.”

The orange-blonde giggled and then burrowed more deeply into Nanaba’s embrace. She pressed her lips to the blonde’s neck, lightly kissing the skin there. Nanaba released a large exhale.

“Didn’t get enough last night?”

Petra slapped her playfully. “It’s this weird connection thing! I feel like I just always have to touch you.”

The rain outside began to pick up, and Nanaba finally opened her eyes, slowly. “It’s like that.”

“It’s like I’m on heat or something.”

“You haven’t turned into a weredog, Petra.”

Petra looked up and met Nanaba’s amused blue gaze. “I haven’t?”

“Did you think you have?”

“Well, you bit me…”

Nanaba almost laughed outright, but instead she leaned forward to press a kiss against Petra’s forehead, smiling. “What we are isn’t a sickness. We’re born this way. Unless you have repressed genes, you are still very much human.”

Petra blushed lightly in embarrassment. “Oh.”

Nanaba watched the blood collect underneath Petra’s pale skin, and her heart skipped a good number of beats. She felt herself flush with emotion, and before either of them knew it, she was kissing her. Petra startled at first, but melted almost immediately. Even though they had only kissed for the first time yesterday, it felt like Petra knew these lips so well. She lifted herself to run her hands through Nanaba’s hair, and sighed lightly in happiness.

The rain only seemed to fall down harder, and just as Nanaba’s hands began to wonder, eliciting small gasps from her lover, a crack of thunder hit somewhere in the distance. Nanaba froze immediately, lips stilling and hands pressing firmly to Petra’s hips.

Petra pulled away, eyebrows drawn in concern. “What’s wrong?”

Nanaba blushed faintly and averted her eyes. “N-nothing…”

Another bolt of thunder struck, followed by a pale shaft of lightning, and Nanaba jumped lightly. She was suddenly tense, and she tried to sneakily curl into Petra as much as she could. But Petra noticed, and she relaxed down on top of Nanaba, smiling.

“Nanaba, are you afraid of thunder?”

Nanaba grimaced. She figured that Petra would have found out eventually, but had hoped to hide it for a little longer. She pouted lightly. “A little.”

Petra squealed lightly and pressed her face to Nanaba’s neck, giggling and squirming. “You are so adorable!”

“How is that adorable?”

“I mean,” she sat up, straddling Nanaba, and pressed her hands to the blonde’s stomach. “You’re all tall and toned, and you can look really intimidating when you want to. You’re like a big bad wolf scared of a little thunder.”

Nanaba spread her arms out to her sides and grumbled. “I’m no wolf!”

“That’s not what I thought last night.” Petra smirked in satisfaction at the pause her comment caused. She opened her mouth to retort again, but was interrupted by the loudest instance of thunder yet. It sounded like it had descended directly into the yard, and Nanaba’s eyes flew open in alarm. She sat up quickly, breath caught in her throat, and wrapped her arms around Petra, shivering. Petra gasped lightly, arms encircling Nanaba, her hand gently stroking her hair.

“Sorry,” Nanaba said. “I’m really lame right now, aren’t I?”

Petra smiled and rested her chin against Nanaba’s head. She continued to stroke her hair and used her other hand to gently caress her naked shoulder. “Not lame,” she countered. “But it makes you seem less unreal.”

“Unreal?”

“Like a normal person. You don’t seem so untouchable anymore.”

Nanaba was torn between feeling complimented and feeling worried. Was she really that unapproachable to people? “Well, I don’t normally have someone to hug when it rains. I don’t usually show people that I’m scared of thunder and lightning.”

“And there’s nothing wrong with that.” Petra tightened her hold, heart swelling with love. “If you ever need cuddles, you have my number.”

“I’ll just run to you.”

“Oh yeah, you can do that too.”

They grew silent then, both listening to the rain outside. It had calmed considerably, and so had Nanaba, though she remained in Petra’s comforting hold. It was the most soothing place to be, and she very much enjoyed the sensation of their warm skin touching. When enough silence had passed, she pressed a kiss to Petra’s jaw, and then pulled away to stare down into her face.

“Petra?”

Petra, still holding her, lifted a brow. “Yeah?”

“Would you… um…” Nanaba bit her lip, blushing lightly. “W-would you like to see me… uh…”

“Naked?” Petra flicked her eyes between them to Nanaba’s abs. “I’ve already seen all of you.”

Nanaba relaxed as she laughed. She leaned forward to brush their noses and then kissed her lightly on the lips. “I’m asking if you would like to see my cynan form in person. I know that it freaked you out before, with Ymir, but I, um… I’d like to show that to you.”

Petra nodded. “It wouldn’t bother me. My views have been changed all thanks to you.”

Nanaba’s ears popped out without her concern, and her tail soon followed. She blushed fiercely when Petra gasped at the sight and then dissolved into a fit of giggles. Though Nanaba frowned, her tail was swishing back and forth, and then full out wagging.

“Stop laughing,” Nanaba said shyly, hating that _this_ side of her was rampant. No one had ever seen her blush. Petra had been gifted with the sight tenfold.

“I’m sorry,” Petra eventually gasped out, breathless. “That was just… I didn’t expect that.”

Nanaba picked Petra up to place her back down on the bed, and then she stood and went over to the centre of the room. Nervous, she folded her arms across her chest and silently pleaded for Petra to stop laughing. Petra did quickly, but she could not contain her smile. She nodded her head once, eyebrow lifting.

“Alright, show me. What’re you waiting for?”

Nanaba smiled and prepared to shift. The air around her grew hot and then steam suddenly bellowed from her skin. Petra was far enough away that she didn’t need to shield her eyes, but the steam did block Nanaba’s shifting form. It took seconds for the steam to fade, and in its wake stood Nanaba on all fours, tail wagging nervously, thick neck held high with pride. Her eyes were darker than they were in her human form, glowing. This time they were not as brilliant as they had been the night before.

Petra felt her heart stutter, but in excitement. She hesitantly got off of the bed and approached the cynan, hand outstretched. “You’re really big,” she commented. Nanaba rolled her eyes and huffed, but rested down on her stomach so that she wasn’t towering so terribly over her small lover.

Petra came to a stop before Nanaba, and she sat down on the floor in front of her. Her lack of clothing forgotten, Petra reached out and gently touched her hands to Nanaba’s fur. It was incredibly soft, and the orange-blonde could feel intense heat radiating from the weredog’s body.

“So this is how it feels.”

_Did Ymir make you curious?_

Petra’s only reaction to Nanaba’s voice in her head was the slight widening of her eyes. “At first I just humoured Krista, but when I finally saw Ymir like… like this, I wondered what it was like, you know? To love someone like this.”

Nanaba’s ears folded back, almost as if in rejection. _Are you okay with what I am?_

Petra immediately draped herself over Nanaba to tightly hug her neck. She had to completely encircle Nanaba, and didn’t even make it all the way around her neck. “Of course I am!” She nuzzled her face in Nanaba’s thick blonde fur. “Like this you’re warm and cuddly. You make me feel safe.”

_Boy, is Krista going to have a field day with this._

Petra laughed. “Yeah! She was so upset when I didn’t believe her, and then hurt when I was scared of Ymir.”

_That was Ymir’s fault, right? She probably didn’t introduce herself in a friendly manner._

“She came in growling and drooling.”

Nanaba chuckled as best she could, and managed to drop down onto her side. With Petra on her chest, Nanaba quickly shifted back and then wrapped her arms around the small body on top of her. “That sounds like something Ymir would do.”

Petra took a moment to recover from the suddenness of Nanaba’s change. When her heart ceased to race she moved her hands to touch Nanaba’s face, curious. “How does the change work?”

Nanaba tilted her head to the side. “It, um…”

“Like, what does it feel like?”

Nanaba pressed her thumb to her lips, contemplating. The question was sudden and unexpected.  She had never had someone ask her that before, and had never needed to think of such an answer. “Well, if I had to describe how it feels, it’s kinda like jumping into a hot bath. It’s unbearable at first, but not painful. It’s too quick to be painful. The very first time can be disorientating and dizzying, but now it’s like slipping on a pair of shoes.” She paused. “Or slipping them off….”

Petra nodded. “Do your bones break?”

“They do, yeah.”

Petra became alarmed. “But how does that not hurt?”

Nanaba rolled them over so that she was on top and she laughed softly. “We get used to it, is all. Our bones need to destroy and then reconstruct themselves. We go from bipedal to four legs.”

“Nanaba, tell me all about your kind. Who put that scar on your hip? Where did the scars on your back come from?” Petra reached around Nanaba to lightly caress the several gashes that lined her back, both horizontally and vertically. Nanaba caught her hand and brought it back around to kiss it gently.

“You probably don’t know this, but there are weredogs _and_ werewolves.”

“But isn’t that the same thing?”

“No… actually, I think I should take you to Adrian and have him explain everything to you.” Nanaba wrapped her arms around Petra and then pulled her up as she stood.

“Where are we going?”

“To shower.”

Petra wrapped her legs around Nanaba’s waist, arms going around her neck. “Do you have someplace to be?”

“I have responsibilities.” By the sudden tensing of her jaw, Petra could tell that Nanaba did not want to talk about it. She respected that, so she didn’t ask.

Nanaba had been fighting the nagging thought since she had woken. She was supposed to be with the others by now to prepare for the days training. It was already around ten in the morning. She hadn’t wanted to leave Petra. Physically she hadn’t been able to. Petra kept her there, their connection kept her there. Nanaba wasn’t sure if she could be able to leave Petra at all without taking the smaller woman with her.

But did she want to introduce Petra to the others yet? Nanaba felt a growl rumble in her chest just at the thought. She’d have to speak to Adrian about it, because she could not forgo her responsibilities to the others. Their lives were in danger, and the wolves wouldn’t wait around so that Nanaba could cuddle with her mate.

_How the hell does Ymir handle this? I’m so sick with worry and absolutely nothing has happened yet. I’m too scared to leave her side. They’ll smell her on me. Oh god. What if something happens to her because of me?_

“Nanaba, it’s okay.” Petra lifted herself to kiss the frown from Nanaba’s lips. “You do whatever you need to do.”

“You could hear that?”

“A little. I don’t know how this connection thing works.”

Nanaba’s smile was so charming that Petra almost saw stars. “Despite not knowing how the connection feels until now, I do happen to be an expert.”

“Really?”

“Who do you think helped Ymir and Krista out?

XxX

Among them all, Ymir was the calmest. She sat by herself, lips pressed to her fist to conceal her grin, and watched as both Raiden and Berik paced around their training ground, growling to each other every now and then. Hanji was off to the side with Rico, quite possibly teasing her while Rico tried not to explode in both impatience and irritation. Ilse seemed just as upset as Raiden, though she only showed it by the way she shared worried glances with Mike—he looked concerned too, but preferred to keep that to himself. Maeve sat off to Ymir’s right, deep into a novel she had brought along. The only sign of her worry was the way she would glance up every few minutes, looking to see if Nanaba had arrived yet.

It was already after ten o’clock, and Nanaba had failed to show up for their training. As their leader she was expected to be there even before them, at five, but she was nowhere to be found. Raiden had been livid, yelling at Adrian and Ymir to find the blonde. They tried her phone, but it was off, and Raiden even began to howl, and was joined by Berik, until Ymir slapped them both upside the head and reminded them that the wolves could hear them too. So Raiden and Berik were left with their pacing, Raiden muttering her worries to no one in particular.

“What if she was attacked?!” Raiden suddenly yelled. She dropped to her knees, hands sinking into her hair. She tilted her head back and then yelled, anguished.

Ymir’s brow ticked and her grin dropped. “Jesus Christ, shut the hell up you idiot!” she slapped her forehead in exasperation. “Nanaba is fine, trust me.”

Raiden stopped yelling, but her face was wet with tears. Berik went to her side and attempted to pull her up, but she only ended up falling over and sniffling on the floor.

“But why hasn’t she let us know?” Raiden asked, lip trembling.

“Raiden, stop acting so dramatic,” Berik chastised, hands on his hips. “Out of all of us Nanaba is the most capable.”

“But not against a whole group of those bastards!”

Berik dropped down by his friend and roughly pulled her up by her shoulders. His usual playfulness was gone, now replaced by intense seriousness. “Look, I don’t know any of you that well yet, but I can tell you this—Nanaba is insanely serious and skilled. There is absolutely no way she would get herself involved with those mutts, so chill, okay?”

Raiden’s eyes watered all over again, and she dove for Berik. “Berik! You’re the only one that understands!” She collapsed against him, snotting all over his shirt.

“Gross man! Get off of me!” He tried to shake her off, but she was impossibly strong.

“Now, now,” Adrian said from the cabin door. He stepped out into the sun, smiling so brightly that he looked years younger. “Nanaba just called me. She’s on her way.”

Raiden’s dramatics stopped and she stood, eyes wide. “Really? She’s okay!?”

Adrian chuckled. “More than okay, I’d say.”

The others had overheard and gathered, and Rico sent Adrian a questioning gaze. “What do you mean? Did something good happen?”

Adrian pressed a fist to his mouth, clearing his throat. Ymir could tell that he was resisting the urge to blurt it out, and she chuckled softly to herself.

“Someone got lucky,” she commented quietly. No one but Ilse heard her, and the freckled woman cast Ymir a questioning gaze.

“When will she get here?!” Raiden demanded, yelling.

“Lower your voice, child. I am old but not deaf.”

Raiden bowed her head immediately, apologising. She felt Berik elbow her side, and narrowed her eyes when he grinned naughtily and stuck his tongue out.

“Training will be a little different today,” Adrian added.

“How come?” Hanji enquired, possibly more curious than the rest.

“You’ll see,” Adrian answered, smile loaded and pleased.

“Ymir, do you know something as well? You’re smiling like the devil,” Ilse asked, arms crossed over her chest.

Ymir coughed lightly, shrugging. “Why would I know anything?” she laughed mockingly and then wondered back to where she had been sitting. “By the way, they’re here.”

Raiden felt confused. “’They’?”

Before anyone else could add their questions, they caught the distinct scent of Nanaba nearby. It was different this time, though—muskier, mixed with something else, something sweeter. Ilse was the only one to understand it, and her eyes widened to their limit. When she looked to Ymir and caught the brunette’s grin, she knew that her nose was not deceiving her.

“There’s a human with her,” Mike commented. His brows were furrowed, nose working harder than the others. He could tell the differences in Nanaba’s scent, just like everyone else could, but to him his nose provided more information. Like for instance, he could tell their emotions just by their scent—even the human’s. At first he was confused, because Nanaba smelt like herself, but then not like herself. The human and Nanaba seemed to share the same scent, but their individual ones as well. What did he smell exactly?

“Everyone, please remain calm and don’t cause a scene, alright?” Adrian advised, eyes stern. “I will punish anyone that scares her.”

The cynans all shared a confused look, and then grew silent when Nanaba appeared behind Adrian, nervous and shifty.

“Adrian,” she said. “Can I speak with you inside?”

Adrian’s seriousness returned to him and he nodded. “You brought her with?” When Nanaba nodded, he correctly guessed the reason for the worry behind her eyes. “Everyone, Nanaba will not train you today. Maeve will take over. Please work hard.” He waved once to signal that there was no room for argument and then followed Nanaba back inside the house.

Maeve, who had been silently studying Nanaba’s face, grew concerned for her friend. She too wondered who the human was, and why Nanaba had chosen not to bring her around to the back. She hoped that nothing bad had happened, and then went to ordering the others to take their stances. They would be practicing defence for starters.

Adrian patiently followed Nanaba into the study room of the large cabin house. He noticed Petra sitting nervously by the table and smiled warmly at her when she stood upon his entrance.

“Ah, she is beautiful,” he said.

Nanaba went to Petra’s side and pressed to her back, taking both of her hands. She smiled and leaned down to kiss Petra’s cheek. The orange-blonde blushed at the show of affection in front of someone that she didn’t know.

“H-hi, I’m Petra,” she introduced, holding her hand out.

Adrian shook her hand for a second and then took a seat on a nearby couch. “It is wonderful to meet you, Petra,” he told her. “So what do you need my advice on?” he directed at Nanaba.

Nanaba guided Petra to sit with her, and kept her hand firmly clasped with the smaller woman’s. “Adrian, I’m terrified,” she admitted.

Adrian seemed alarmed. “Of what, my dear?”

“Of… of those bastards!” Nanaba clenched her teeth together and wrapped her arms around Petra. “I just… I have this irrational fear and I don’t think I can leave Petra’s side. How can I train the others?”

Adrian took a breath to still his frightened heart. “That is understandable, I suppose.” His gaze trained on Petra who looked rather confused. “Do you have any idea the terror we are under?”

Petra shook her head and looked to Nanaba for help. Nanaba sighed. “I wanted you to explain it to her,” Nanaba told him. “Tell her everything that she needs to know.”

And Adrian did. He went into great detail for Petra as he had for Ymir, and even went to retrieve his old book containing the history of all werekind. Petra asked questions where she felt it was needed, and as Adrian cleared her curiosity, Petra’s concern grew. She finally understood why Krista always seemed so stressed and why Ymir was on her like a fly. She felt Nanaba so tense beside her, and wished that she could just erase the blonde’s worries for her.

It took hours to fill Petra in on all she needed to know, and at the end of it Nanaba was shaking and Petra had to gently touch her fingertips to her face to calm her.

“I’ll be okay,” she said softly. Adrian had left to give them their privacy. “Because I won’t leave your side.”

Nanaba nodded and then inhaled sharply. She smiled and embraced Petra. “It’s crazy that we only met a few days ago.”

“Feels like years, not days.”

“The connection does that.”

Petra stood and held her hand out. “Come on, I think the others need you.”

Nanaba took her hand but cast her a surprised look. “Are you ready to meet everyone already?”

“Not yet, but I can sit by myself and watch you.”

“Nuh-uh, I’m not training today. I can miss one day.”

Petra tugged Nanaba out of the door with her. “Then we can sit together and watch the others train. I think I’ll need to get used to this.” She gave Nanaba’s hand a squeeze in her own. “With your people here, I’m safe.”

Nanaba hated being so paranoid, but she couldn’t help it. The connection could be a curse, in that it forced irrational and passionate feelings on those involved. It was a wonder that Ymir had ever learnt to control it, and Nanaba had half a mind to just give Ymir a large hug and congratulate her, and maybe even ask for some advice.

Before they made it to the small kitchen that led to the backyard, Ymir appeared leaning by the door. She sensed their presence and turned when they paused, smiling.

“Welcome to the family,” Ymir said to Petra, winking. “Never expected to get it on with one of my kind, did you?” She pushed off from the door and made to approach, but quickly stopped when Nanaba released a loud, threatening growl.

Nanaba stopped when she realized what she was doing, and covered her mouth with her hand. “Um… shit, I’m sorry.” Her shoulders slumped. “I just… I don’t know why I did that.”

Ymir studied them for a bit, and then she broke into laughter. She wiped at her eyes when she was done, and slapped her thigh a few times. “Holy shit! So _that’s_ what I was like in the beginning.” She approached cautiously, glad when Nanaba did not growl again. “It’s okay that you growled. It’s natural. Hell, I did it more times than I can count.” She paused in front of them. “Don’t look so shocked.”

Nanaba crossed her arms over her chest and feigned disinterest. “It was just sudden! You’re the last person I want to threaten.”

“And if I remember correctly, I was threatening you all the time.” Ymir seemed entirely amused. “No hard feelings. You just need to get used to us touching her.” She locked eyes with Nanaba and then gently poked Petra once on the forehead.

“Hey!” Petra exclaimed, hand swatting Ymir’s away.

Nanaba’s eyes flashed intensely, and she seemed ready to attack, but she held herself back. When Ymir stepped away she relaxed.

“See?” Ymir said. “You’ll get there.”

Nanaba pulled Petra into her arms and suddenly wished that they had just stayed in bed. She could have called Adrian and told him that she wasn’t coming, but her responsibility to the others had dragged her out here.

“The teacher becomes the student,” the blonde muttered.

“Um, Ymir?” Petra spoke up, hesitant.

Ymir’s gaze flicked down to Petra. “Hmm?”

“Where’s Krista?”

At the mention of her little lover Ymir seemed to suddenly deflate. Her lips turned down into a pout, she crossed her arms over chest and even seemed about to tear up. She scuffed her foot against the floor, looking down.

“Went to work,” she muttered.

“So you finally let her go?” Nanaba asked, surprised. “I can understand now why you were so against it. I’m surprised you let her go.”

Ymir shrugged. “We have to be our own selves too, I guess.” She sighed and then ruffled her own hair. “And she seemed so damn eager. She would have gone even if I refused.”

Petra brought their attention to her when she giggled, and when both cynans looked at her, she stopped. “That just sounds like something that Krista would do.”

Ymir grumbled something else underneath her breath, and then she straightened and sighed again. “I should get back before Maeve eats my ass.” Her nose scrunched at the sexual innuendo and the awful mental image it brought. “You two do whatever you need to.” She headed back out, satisfied with having spoken to the new couple. She really could not wait to tell Krista that Petra had _finally_ given in, and that they had totally banged— _hard._

Nanaba ran her fingers along Petra’s arm. “Do you want to leave or stay here?”

“We can stay, if you want.”

“I’d prefer that. I think I should ask Adrian to put a spell on your house, or we can just stay in mine.”

The couple went over to a nearby couch, near enough that it still afforded them a perfect view of outside. The cynans that were training sent glances their way, and they were seen arguing with Ymir to tell them who the human was. Ymir seemed sadistic in her satisfaction of knowing what they didn’t, and refused to tell them. Adrian warned them not to approach Nanaba at any costs, and when Nanaba glanced their way once, unintentionally threatening them with her glare, they knew to listen.

“So who is moving in with who?” Petra asked.

Nanaba’s head snapped down to regard her. “S-seriously?”

XxX

Homura met her by the entrance of the large building, apparently having seen her before she saw him. Krista was nervous when she approached him, but the gentle smile that he gave her set her nerves at ease.

“Good morning,” Homura greeted. “I hope that you’re well.”

Krista returned his smile as best as she could and headed inside, Homura holding the door for her. “Good morning, Homura. I’m good.” She expected him to approach for a hug, or even just a handshake, but he did nothing of the sort and merely closed the door behind him before heading towards a nearby elevator.

“Our floor is the sixth, so it’s a short ride up.” He firmly pressed the button for the elevator and then jumped lightly on the balls of his feet. “I’m so excited to introduce you to everyone!”

A nervous fluttered entered Krista’s stomach and she briefly wished that Ymir was with her. She banished the thought quickly, angered at herself for wanting to rely on Ymir so much. “Um, is the company big?”

Homura chuckled. “We have many employees, yes, but you’ll be joining the most important. We’re only a few.” The elevator doors whirred open and Homura gestured for Krista to head in. “Ladies first.”

Krista smiled as she stepped inside, and noted with curiosity that Homura leaned against the wall to her exact opposite. She felt strangely disappointed that he hadn’t initiated physical contact, and wondered why she felt that way in the first place.

The ride up was quiet. Krista took the moment to look Homura over, and she thought about how attractive he was. Like the last time he had a button-up shirt, though this one was dark blue, and the top few buttons were undone to show his bare chest. He wore similar black pants, and shoes that looked far too expensive and clean to be real. He always seemed clean shaven and even from the distance Krista could smell his cologne—or what she assumed was cologne. Homura smelt amazing. When he noticed Krista staring, he sent her a warm smile and then moved away from the wall.

“We’re here,” he said, and then the doors opened and Krista stepped out with him.

The first thing Krista noted was the soft carpet underneath her shoes. Though she could not feel them first-hand, she could tell by the way her shoes sunk into the floor. It was pleasant. After that she noticed the pleasant smell to the air, and wondered if someone had recently sprayed something there.

Multiple cubicles dotted the entirety of the left side of the floor, while the right side contained the bathrooms, a rather large kitchen and then what Krista assumed to be the boss’s office. It was an enclosed space, surrounded by transparent glass hidden by blinds. Krista wondered if the boss was in, remembering Homura’s strange reaction when he had spoken about the person. Was the boss bad? She hoped not.

“Pretty boy, think fast!”

Krista’s head snapped up at the voice, an inexplicable flush crawling up her neck, and startled when Homura just barely dodged a rugby ball that had been thrown at him with extreme strength. It bounced loudly against the closed elevator doors behind them and headed straight for Homura again, but the man caught it effortlessly and then sighed heavily.

“I told you guys not to play with this at work. The boss will murder you for it.”

A strikingly attractive redheaded woman—and oh hell was she tall—approached and snatched the ball from Homura’s hands. She clicked her tongue once and then threw the ball into the air.

“She won’t kill us if she doesn’t find out, right?” She snickered and then paused, light but intense brown eyes falling on the small blonde at Homura’s side. “Oh~ Is this the new victim?”

Homura rolled his eyes and slapped a hand against the woman’s shoulder. “Riza, this is Krista. Be nice to her, please.” He turned to Krista, smiling. “Krista, I’d like you to meet Riza Wildman.”

Krista’s brow creased but she nodded once when Riza grinned and waved. “H-hi.”

“Oh my god, she’s so cute!” Riza exclaimed, ball long forgotten. Her exclamation seemed to have garnered attention, and soon someone draped an arm over Riza’s shoulder.

“Who’s cute?” It was another insanely attractive woman, but this one had light, chin length blue hair. Her eyes were violet and intense, and she had a spot just below one eye. She noticed Krista before Riza could respond, and straightened quickly to introduce herself.

“You must be the new girl, Krista. I’m Hachiouji Rui, but you can just call me Rui.”

Krista couldn’t explain her suddenly thumping heart, and she felt like she was being surrounded by unbelievably attractive people that far outshone her petite features. Not to mention how they towered over her, and it was obvious that they all had muscled, toned bodies. Rui looked more largely built than Riza, but Riza’s power seemed to be in her arms. They were quite toned and large, but they still looked incredible. Both women were bulkier than Homura, but he was still taller by a few inches.

“Hi Rui, it’s nice to meet you too.” Krista hoped that they couldn’t see her blush or the way her eyes roamed over their forms, taking in the sheer height of them. She looked away when she thought they noticed.

“Sorry about the ball,” Rui said to Homura, eyes hardening. She turned and punched Riza once in the arm, and it sounded like it truly hurt. Riza frowned, barely reacting to the punch, and crossed her arms over her chest.

“I was having fun,” she stated. “Which I’m allowed to do.” Huffing, she shoved her hands into her pockets and then stalked off to a group of cubicles that were more spacey than the rest.

Rui rolled her eyes as she watched Riza’s back, and then she caught sight of someone approaching and straightened, almost as if in fright. Krista unconsciously did the same, and she relaxed lightly when Homura very gently touched her lower back in comfort.

“That woman heading our way is Alphard,” he explained. “She’s third in command, basically. Also a complete dictator.”

Alphard, with midnight hair tied up and eyes so cold and hard that Krista shivered, stopped before them. The air around her was intimidating, threatening, and Krista couldn’t fathom why a single glance from her was both so exciting and frightening at the same time. When Alphard’s stare continued on her, Krista felt her face flush again.

“Krista,” Alphard said, apparently very sure with herself that the name was correct. “You finally join us.”

“Tone it down a little, Al,” Homura told her, smiling. “The poor thing is shaking like a leaf.”

Alphard’s mask of ice cracked lightly and she allowed her face to soften. “I apologise.” She bowed her head lightly and then offered her hand when she straightened. Being the first to do this, Krista took it with surprise. The grip wasn’t strong at all and quite fleeting. Alphard shook her hand barely even once and then immediately withdrew, smile apologetic.

The smile dropped when she turned her grey eyes back to Homura. “You have orders to give the newbie a tour, and explain what her duties are. When our boss returns, she would like to meet Krista herself.”

Homura’s smile dropped too, and he suddenly seemed a lot less carefree. His shoulders tensed and then he nodded once, understanding. Krista found Alphard’s use of vocabulary odd, since they were only running a magazine, not going to war. She thought it was effective, though, considering how quickly Homura had become serious.

Alphard seemed pleased with herself for having spoken to them, and wordlessly turned to head back to her cubicle. Riza and Rui were there, arguing over the ball. Riza was yelling wildly with Rui merely restraining her anger. As soon as Alphard passed them the ball was snatched, thrown to the ground and then broken underneath her boot. Riza howled in anguish.

“What the fuck was that for?!” she roared, standing and grabbing Alphard by the front of her shirt.

“I warned you seven times,” Alphard supplied, eyes now bored. She slipped her hands around Riza’s wrists and then gripped them so tightly that Riza yelped. “And don’t touch me with your filthy hands.”

Rui, noticing Homura and Krista approaching, stood quickly to intervene. She pushed the duo apart, patting them both gently on the shoulder. “Ladies, no fighting in front of the newbie. We don’t want her to think we’re mindless beasts, do we?” Rui sent Krista a grin. “Right?”

Krista found herself tripping over her words, and luckily Homura jumped in before she said something stupid and made a fool of herself.

“Rui is right. By the way, where are the other two?”

Alphard headed over to her table, sinking expertly into her seat, and began wordlessly typing away at her laptop. It was apparent that she wouldn’t respond. Her cubicle was the second last, with a currently vacant one beside her. To her left, however, was Rui and then Riza. Krista wondered how often the three butted heads, and if the ‘others’ were just as bad. Homura hadn’t been kidding when he said that there were tensions here.

“Uh, they left. Said something about getting food and alcohol,” Riza answered. “The boss let them go.”

Homura pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Those two argue like a married couple when they’re here, and then drink until they can barely move when they’re not here. I’m surprised they haven’t been fired yet.”

Rui smiled warmly, kindness finally seeping into her eyes and making them deeper, less intimidating. “We may all have our quirks, but we’re still a family.”

Homura had to agree, and he sent Rui a wink to let her know. She smiled back at him and Krista got the sense that these people were really close. It made her warm inside, warmer than the fluster from being around these intense women. She felt less on edge and more like she could possibly even fit in here.

 

Alphard then ordered everyone to get back to work, and they reluctantly did. Homura then took her around the building, talking about anything and everything that he could think of. He spoke about their rules, the things that were acceptable and unacceptable, and then about his co-workers. They returned to the sixth floor around lunch time, and Krista was nervous when she spotted two new women that she hadn’t seen earlier. They were in the kitchen area, arguing playfully.

One woman had short white hair with a strange tattoo on her face. Her skin was paler than the other woman’s, and her eyes were a deep light green. She seemed so at ease, even when her partner seemed angered by something and stood, slamming her fist against the table.

“Shut the hell up!” she roared. This one had long red hair. Her shirt had no sleeves, so Krista spotted the long, winding black tattoo along her upper arm. It made her seem more intimidating, and the anger in her brown eyes didn’t help.

“That would be Kagefusa and Revy,” Homura whispered to her. He chuckled when Kagefusa, the white-haired woman, stood and patted Revy on the head. She smirked at the other woman’s fury and then proceeded to laugh when she was cussed at.

Krista was torn between seeing Kagefusa as kind, and seeing her as sadistic. It was like she could be either, both or none. Krista’s brows furrowed.

“Arguing already?” Homura asked loudly as they approached. “I’ve brought the new girl to introduce herself.”

Revy straightened and turned to give Krista a long, scrutinizing look. When she was done she leaned over the table, grinning lecherously. “Oooh, I didn’t think that you’d be such a cutie.”

Kagefusa rolled her eyes. “And she’s probably married with three kids, you idiot.”

Revy snapped around, her face reddening with anger. Alphard glided into the room then, not saying a word and barely even sparing them a glance. But it caused Revy and Kagefusa to pause curiously and watch her. Alphard did nothing more than pause by the fridge to get a bottle of water. She straightened to take a sip, and then she sighed lightly and put the bottle back. Turning, she locked her eyes with Krista’s, and then her gaze turned sympathetic.

“When the boss gets here, don’t look into her eyes.”

Everyone in the room tensed, sharing worried glances. They sent Krista sympathetic gazes as well, and before Krista could ask them what was wrong, she felt a chill of terror and warmth rock down her spine.

“Why would you tell her that?”

Turning, Krista came face-to-face with the tallest person she had ever seen—taller than Bertholdt, even. The person had chin length, naturally tousled ashen hair, much lighter than Homura’s. Her skin was darkly tanned, a shade darker than Ymir’s, and her presence almost set Krista on fire.

Homura nervously inserted himself between Krista and the newcomer, swallowing. “They were just joking, boss.” he said, turning to give Krista a look.

Everyone else remained silent, and the newly arrived woman roughly shoved Homura out of the way. She stepped up to Krista, footsteps so light even though she looked so large. She roughly grabbed the blonde by her chin, face impassive and cold. There was not one shred of hospitality there, and Krista felt her heart race in anxiety.

“Welcome, Krista,” she said, voice thick and husky. It was deep and warm, like the heat from a fireplace, or when you burn your skin on a candle. “I am your new boss.” Her expression finally changed to that of intense amusement, and she cracked the most arrogant grin Krista had ever seen. As her lips moved, Krista caught a glint of sharp teeth. It was hot where the woman touched her.

“U-um, thank you for this opportunity.” Krista said.

The woman finally released her, seemingly satisfied. “Call me Liache.” Liache smirked again, and Krista could not deny how it was attractive. This woman frightened her but everything about her was so attractive. Krista felt drawn, and she didn’t understand why.

Krista swallowed the sudden dryness from her mouth, and forgetting Alphard’s advice from earlier, she dipped her head back to look Liache in the face. Her mistake dawned on her, and she felt sheer terror rock down her body when Liache stared back, eyes so deeply red that they couldn’t be anything but unnatural.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liache is pronounced “Lee-awsh”, for those wondering. Also, if you aren’t familiar with the new characters introduced (which are all from different anime, minus Liache who is an OC) then either google them, or head over to my Tumblr where I will be making a post with a picture of each of them. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter, though. Comments would be appreciated!


	12. Chapter 12

After her first day at work Krista drove down to Adrian’s cabin where she was sure her lover and the rest were training. Instead of entering through the house she rounded it, and took to the seat she usually sat on while she watched the others. Ymir noticed her immediately and broke away from Hanji to jog over, wearing nothing but loose shorts and a shirt. Her grin was contagious.

“Krista!” She enveloped the blonde in a tight hug, lifting her right up into the air. Krista could do nothing but giggle and hug her back. She could feel the excitement and happiness radiating from Ymir, and she was so glad to be back. “How was work? Worth it?”

When she was finally set back down onto her feet, Krista sat down again, glad that Ymir dropped down with her and rested her head on the blonde’s lap, fingers intertwining. “It was okay. You were listening in on my feelings though, weren’t you?”

Ymir’s concern hadn’t been as masked as she had attempted, and she grew still. “I almost bolted when I felt fear from you.”

“The boss is just a little intimidating.”

“You sure I don’t need to kick some ass?”

Krista smiled and leaned down to kiss Ymir’s cheek. “The others are wonderful. My boss is this scary woman named Liache.”

“What the hell name is that?”

“I don’t know. Anyway, after she showed up she got a little hands-y,” Ymir tensed so Krista ran a hand through her hair to keep her relaxed. “But my co-workers asked her to leave me alone, and then she stalked off and disappeared into her office. I didn’t see her again after. Everyone promised to keep a watch out for me. They said that Liache isn’t _that_ bad, but that she just has issues. She’s hardly ever in the office though.”

Ymir resisted the urge to go on a long rant of why Krista did not need to work or interact with anyone else. Her rational mind told her that it was ridiculous, so she held her tongue. “If Liache tries anything, call the cops.”

Krista sighed softly. “She’s just really arrogant and intimidating.”

“And dangerous.” Ymir paused, thinking. “I could feel that from you. That you think she’s dangerous.”

Krista exhaled slowly and shrugged. “I don’t know her yet. I’m determined to, though. Homura told me that he’s known her for a long time, which is why he sticks with her, but that she’s just too intimidating to be around.” There was more to it, she knew. The way Homura spoke, it was as if he had to force himself to provide Krista with reasons not to think her new boss was a complete psychopath. The others didn’t really seem to care, and had been quoted to say that Liache was an “asshole fucker”, “bitch” and Revy’s colourful description, “motherfucking stuck-up jackass”. It was clear that none of them liked her, but stayed because of the amazing pay and the fact that she was hardly ever there.

Krista had to admit that she really liked her co-workers. She hadn’t met any other workers yet, because they worked on the lower floors, but she was certain that her time working would be fun thanks to Homura and the others. Though they bickered often, it was more like a sibling rivalry, than actual hatred. It was amusing, especially to Homura, it seemed—when he thought Krista wouldn’t notice.

“So you really still want to do this work thing?”

Krista moved her hand to rub behind Ymir’s ear. “I do, yes.”

Ymir sighed, slumping. She still hated the idea, but Krista was stubborn. Maybe when this lycan mess was over she would become accustomed to being away from Krista. For now it was a struggle—and speaking of struggles… “So guess who totally got lucky last night.”

At first Krista was confused, wondering if Ymir was referring to herself. She then realized something important, and gasped loudly. “Did they do it?”

Ymir sat up and stretched, chuckling. “Yup! Nanaba and Petra are here, actually.” She caught some of the others casting her glares and lowered her voice before they caught on to what she was saying. “Nanaba didn’t want to leave Petra’s side, so Adrian made Maeve take over for today.”

“Are they inside?”

Ymir stood and nodded. “Yeah. I should probably get back to training.” She looked utterly devastated at the thought. “Come back out when you’re done talking to them, yeah?”

Krista patted Ymir’s hip. “Don’t be a baby. I’ll still be close.”

Ymir snorted, acting as if Krista was overreacting. Her act was seen through, and Ymir knew it by the way Krista’s eyebrow lifted. She huffed lightly and then turned, walking back to continue her sparring with Hanji. She glanced over when she stopped in front of the brunette, watching Krista hurry inside. Ymir sighed.

Krista had to do an extensive search throughout the house before she eventually found them. They were in the kitchen and Krista paused by the doorway, a blush dusting over her face. She cleared her throat and looked away as if she hadn’t just seen what she thought she saw.

Petra gasped and pushed Nanaba away from her, hastily pulling her shirt back down over her chest. A hand swept over her hair to neaten it, but to no avail. Blushing just as brightly, Petra jumped down from the counter and turned to her embarrassed cousin.

“K-Krista!”

Krista pressed a palm to her face in an attempt to quell the heat on it. She managed a laugh, not wanting to make Nanaba or Petra feel more awkward than they surely did. “It’s okay,” she said. “I’m sorry for walking in without making a noise.”

“Oh, I did hear you,” Nanaba commented. She was leaning against the counter by the sink, muscular arms crossed over her chest. She, in fact, looked nothing short of calm. In fact, Petra turned to give her an incredulous look, and it was only then that Nanaba broke out into a light blush, possibly even sweating. “I-I’m sorry?”

Petra put her hands on her hips, frowning. “I told you that we can’t get frisky here but you said you’d hear if someone walked by.” Her tone became dangerous, and if Nanaba’s ears were out, they would have been pressed to her head in fright. She bowed her head, eyes avoiding Petra’s.

“I was caught up in the moment, I’m sorry.”

Krista watched them with growing amusement. Feeling pity for her friend, she approached and lightly touched Petra on the elbow. “Cut her some slack, Petra. She feels it more intensely than you do, so it will be difficult for her to hold off on physical contact with you.” She smiled in relief that she managed not to blush again.

Nanaba looked up tentatively, eyes pleading for Petra not to be mad at her. The blonde’s shoulders were hunched over, giving her very much the appearance of a kicked puppy. But the look worked, and Petra leaned against Nanaba’s body with a sigh. She didn’t need to speak for Nanaba to know that she was forgiven.

Krista giggled. “Wow, you really do have the connection! Can you feel each other’s thoughts and emotions like I can with Ymir?”

Nanaba was the one to answer. “We can. I just… I have this…” She nervously rubbed the back of her neck, unsure of how to word it.

“She growled at Ymir,” Petra said.

Krista paused, brows furrowing. Petra assumed that she was becoming upset and would chastise Nanaba for it, but Krista only smiled in amusement and then laughed. “That’s only natural. I mean, Ymir almost ripped Raiden’s head off that one time!”

Nanaba recalled the incident and groaned, and Petra lifted a hand to caress her lips. “I remember that,” Petra said. “I saw it in Nanaba’s head.”

A sudden wave of emotion washed over Krista, and her face clouded over in panic that wasn’t hers. She gasped lightly, hand flying up to her chest.

 _Krista, get out of there now! Get away from Nanaba!_ It was Ymir, and she sounded so panicked that Krista’s heart leaped into her throat. But it seemed that Ymir was too late in her warning and Raiden burst into the kitchen, panting and looking like she had just gone through a scuffle.

What happened next was completely unexpected—but shouldn’t have been that surprising. Raiden made to step up to Nanaba, but the blonde suddenly disappeared from her spot beside Petra and then she threw Raiden through the kitchen window, shattering the glass. She darted after the redhead, now in her shifted form, and attacked before the redhead had even hit the ground—Raiden had shifted too.

Ymir slid into the room then and immediately pulled Krista out with her. “Are you hurt?”

“N-no! What just happened?”

Ymir’s head snapped up at the sound of rabid growling and howling from outside. “Shit. That idiot.”

Petra joined them in a panic. “What’s going on?”

“Raiden is freaking out over a human being here and she doesn’t like that no one is explaining it. She has this weird obsession with Nanaba, so the kid decides that it’s a bright idea to run here and confront Nanaba herself. Maeve told her not to and Adrian even warned her of bodily harm.” Ymir slapped her own forehead. “I tried to stop her but the jackass punched me.”

Krista noticed the growing bruise on Ymir’s jaw and lightly touched it. Ymir flinched. “Sorry,” the blonde said. “It should heal soon. Does it hurt?”

Ymir shrugged. “I’ve had worse.” She reached over to grab Petra but paused halfway and thought better of it. Instead she waved her over. “Listen, we should head out to the back and wait there. Maeve told us all to stay out of it. She’ll try to snap Nanaba out of it.”

As they followed Ymir outside, a thought struck Krista. “Ymir, how come you weren’t this bad when it came to people touching me?”

Ymir shrugged. “Maybe it’s just different for everyone. I mean, I’m pretty sure Nanaba didn’t burn for Petra like I did for you when it started.”

Krista supposed that Ymir made sense, for once.

Meanwhile, Raiden desperately tried to make an escape, but she caught herself stuck underneath Nanaba’s heavy paws. The blonde’s claws dug painfully into her chest and she whined like a pup, legs kicking about all over the place. She was relieved to see Maeve approach them cautiously in her human form, hands open in front of her.

“Nanaba,” she said softly. “Let her go. She did not mean to harm the human.”

It was strange. Nanaba seemed completely out of it. Her pupils were so dilated that they were almost completely clouding over her irises. Her nostrils flared and the look in her eyes was downright murderous.

Nanaba roughly pushed Raiden away from her and made to approach Maeve, but yelped when she was suddenly harshly sprayed with ice-cold water. By the broken glass Adrian stood with a hosepipe in his hands going at full strength. He sprayed Nanaba for a good minute before he told Rico to put the water off. When the flow of liquid ceased, Nanaba looked half the usual size, and more like a giant rat. She sat on her backside, ears folded back, fur soaking. She blinked in confusion.

_What happened?_

Adrian sighed and rubbed at his lower back. “The young one approached you thoughtlessly and it triggered your intense protective instinct. If I hadn’t stopped you with the water then you would have hurt Maeve.” Adrian turned to wink at Rico who had joined his side. “I find that spraying some water on a bad dog always does the trick.”

Rico smirked. “I’d say that’s accurate.”

Petra appeared with Ymir and Krista behind her. “Nanaba?”

The others joined then too, all standing around Maeve and waiting patiently for Nanaba to introduce the stranger. Though they thought that Raiden’s actions had been stupid, they’d all been thinking about doing it—they never would have though. It didn’t sit well with them that Nanaba would keep secrets during such a crucial time.

Nanaba shifted and swept her wet hair backwards, brows furrowed. “I’m sorry Raiden.”

Raiden, back in human form, stood and groaned lightly. “I think you broke my ribs.”

Nanaba flinched. “I’m really sorry.”

Adrian beckoned for Raiden to approach him and put an arm around her shoulder when she had. “The consequence for your thoughtlessness. Take it with honour.” Raiden merely groaned, scowling over at her idol. Nanaba avoided looking at her again.

“Why did you attack her?” Petra asked. She had thought that Nanaba was quite close to Raiden. Why would she have attacked her then? When Nanaba’s face fell, Petra pulled her into a hug and soothingly rubbed her back. The action caused more than one raised eyebrow from the others. Ymir was also seen quietly pulling Krista into her arms.

“I’m sorry,” Nanaba breathed out. “These feelings are too intense for me.”

Maeve took a brave step forward. “Nanaba, I speak for myself and everyone here. Not only did you bring a stranger here, but a _human_ ,” Ymir sent Maeve a glare at the way she said ‘human’ as if it was unsavoury. “You do not tell us what is going on. Adrian seems to know, but that does not leave our worries assuaged. We are supposed to build trust. Introduce this girl to us. Explain why you attacked a comrade.”

All cynans, besides Ymir, nodded their heads in agreement. They were just as curious and just as concerned.

“Fine,” Nanaba said. She didn’t look pleased at having to introduce the human, and it puzzled everyone there. Nanaba straightened and took Petra’s hand in her own. Though she was still naked and dripping with water, she straightened her back and rubbed Petra’s skin with her thumb. “This is Petra,” she introduced. “She is now my mate.”

Maeve’s eyes widened. “But I thought you swore to never mate with anyone until _the_ _one_?” Nanaba shifted uncomfortable and did not answer. Her expression was answer enough. “Is she the one, then?” Maeve asked, surprised.

Nanaba nodded and then smiled. “We… um… we have connected already.”

A collective gasp ran through the group, all eyes widened. Ymir chuckled. “Come on guys, you already have one binding pair here! Remember us?”

Maeve sent Ymir a frown over her shoulder but ignored her comment. “This is amazing,” she said, finally smiling. “Is she truly your mate?”

Nanaba’s discomfort faded and a full smile spread out on her face. “She is.”

Maeve approached, confident that Nanaba would not attack. The blonde tensed slightly but remained docile. She watched carefully as Maeve paused by Petra and held a hand out.

“Hi Petra, my name is Maeve. Congratulations to you both.”

The others joined, all curiously sniffing Petra out and then giving hugs when Nanaba gave them permission. The blonde hugged them all too, except for Raiden. The redhead had disappeared with Adrian, and guilt washed over her.

“Hey,” she gently nudged Petra’s side. “I just want to speak with Raiden quickly. I can trust you with the others. Will you be okay?”

Nanaba’s face looked pained, but Petra smiled and pushed her lightly. “Go and talk to her. I’m safe here.”

Reluctantly Nanaba headed inside. She followed the scents until she found both Adrian and Raiden in one of the guest rooms that had been set up like a make-shift hospital room. Raiden was lying on the bed, bandages wrapped around her torso. At least she had pants on.

“Ah, just as I said,” Adrian stood, smiling. “I will leave you to speak.” He gave Nanaba a pat on the shoulder as he left and closed the door behind him.

Raiden turned her head away from Nanaba, frowning. Nanaba sighed and sat down beside the bed. “I’m sorry for hurting you.”

“Whatever.”

“Don’t ‘whatever’ me,” Nanaba ordered. She leaned over to grab Raiden’s chin and force her head around.

“I heard you tell them,” Raiden almost spat.

Nanaba was surprised by the venom in her voice and she had to keep her anger at bay. Defending Petra wasn’t the issue. What she needed to do was speak rationally and find out why Raiden was acting like this.

“Why do you seem so upset?”

Raiden roughly pulled her chin free and attempted to turn over onto her side. She only succeeded in hurting herself, and hissed. “Damn ribs are taking forever to heal.”

Nanaba sat back in the chair and sighed. She watched Raiden go from wincing, to scowling, to pouting, and suddenly she figured it out. “Are you jealous?” That seemed to garner a harsher reaction that Nanaba had anticipated.

“Jealous?!” Raiden almost yelled. “Are you fucking serious?” She sat up, ignoring the burn of her wounds. “I’m not jealous that you managed to find your one person despite the odds. I’m not that fucking petty.”

“Then tell me why you won’t accept my apology!”

Raiden’s anger dissolved into tears. “You’ll forget about me now!” She bit her lip harshly and looked down at her lap. “I figured that you found your mate the moment I saw you with her. Berik and I followed you out. Ymir wasn’t the only one. I’m not jealous. I am happy. I’m just scared, okay?”

Nanaba leaned forward, unsure of what to say. “Why would this make you scared?”

Once more Raiden’s emotions changed, and her eyes filled with sadness. “I’ve been alone my whole life. When you found me it was the best thing that had ever happened to me since I can remember. Thanks to you I have a purpose now, a home. With _her_ , you don’t need me anymore. I become even more of an annoyance.” Nanaba opened her mouth to speak, but Raiden went on before she could. “I may act like it, but I’m not stupid. I know that I’m annoying. I live in your house without contributing and I act like I own the place. I’m surprised that you haven’t kicked me out yet. But nothing’s stopping you now. With _her,_ you’ll want me gone for sure.”

Nanaba surprised Raiden by getting onto the bed and pulling the redhead into a warm hug. “Yeah, you’re right.” She exhaled loudly. “You do act stupid.”

“Why are you hugging me?”

Nanaba ran her hand through Raiden’s hair and used her other hand to rub her back. “It’s called comfort. You need to be comforted right now. I also really don’t want to attack you again, so hugging helps me remain calm.

“You really are an idiot sometimes, you know. Yeah, you do annoy the hell out of me when you want to, but I won’t just ditch you. I took on the responsibility of taking care of you when I let you stay with me. I’d prefer you to move out and get a place of your own, sure, but I won’t pressure you to get out. Raiden, you’re part of my family now. Don’t forget that. I want you to like Petra. She’s my whole world now and I want her to be accepted by those that I care about. I won’t suddenly push you aside.”

Raiden sniffled. “Promise?”

Nanaba chuckled and playfully pinched her cheek. “Okay, now you’re acting like a pup.”

“But do you promise?” She sat back to hold Nanaba’s gaze.

Nanaba smiled and held out her pinky. “Promise.”

Raiden wrapped hers around it, smiling. “It’s weird how much I need you, huh?”

“Nah, I understand.”

“You do?”

“You’ve been abandoned, right? I know how that feels. I could see it from the start.  I see a younger me in you.”

Raiden sighed and rested her cheek against Nanaba’s shoulder. “You know, I wish you were my parent.”

Nanaba exhaled. “I don’t know about that…”

“Also, you’re still naked.”

“Sorry.” Nanaba made to get up, but Raiden stopped her. “Let me get clothes.”

“No. You’re warm. Can I please just rest on your shoulder and feel like a kid in a safe place?”

Sighing, Nanaba relented and relaxed. She gently rubbed Raiden’s back, wondering what the kid must have gone through to have been so scared of being abandoned again. She vowed to never make Raiden feel like that again.

A few minutes later Raiden was fast asleep, snoring open-mouthed and drooling. Nanaba let it slide just _this once._ When Petra eventually found them, she had a change of clothes. But she put them on the bed and quietly left, because Nanaba had fallen asleep too. Petra couldn’t help but consider what a great parent Nanaba would be one day.

XxX

Roughly two months passed by after that. Petra became a fixed thing of the group, arriving early every morning to sit where Krista had, watching. She only left when school called for her, but was steadily losing any and all interest in pursuing her plans in education. There were always other options, but none that she had really considered yet. She knew Nanaba would be upset if Petra were to quit school just to be by her side.

Krista continued going to work, growing closer to her co-workers. As they had promised, Liache only ever showed herself once after the first time. She had stalked in late, clearly hungover, and shut herself in her office all day. Krista had ventured down to the lower floors to speak to other employees, finding that there were absolutely no males. It appeared that Liache had an affinity for females, as Homura had put it. Most of them were nice though timid, and Krista was unnerved when none seemed keen to get to know her.

Giving her further worries, Krista would occasionally see some of the women enter her floor and disappear into Liache’s office. No sound would escape after, but when they left, Krista could clearly see that something loud had occurred. Often dishevelled and barely able to walk, the girls all seemed dazed and satisfied at the same time. The first time Krista had noticed, she had gone bright red.

“Ouch, looks like the pipsqueak finally noticed,” Riza commented, grimacing. Krista was sitting beside her, so she lifted her head to give her a look.

“Is it what it looks like?”

Homura, having overheard, sauntered over and sat down on Krista’s desk in front of her. Like usual his chest was visible, though he seemed unaffected by it, and he held a mug of coffee in his hand. Nursing it slowly, he hummed and then shifted. “Liache is, well… she’s…”

“A huge lesbian,” Alphard commented roughly. She had her face almost pressed to her laptop, doing research of some kind. Since Krista had arrived at work Alphard had been busy working on something, so busy that she had almost failed to return a greeting.

“Yup,” Riza agreed, sitting back and putting her feet up on her table. “The boss munches carpet like her life depends on it.”

Krista blushed. “There’s nothing wrong with that, unless it isn’t consentual.”

Homura seemed to stiffen lightly before he blew a breath and relaxed, chuckling. “Oh it is, trust me. She may be scary, but she has the most amazing sex eyes.” He sighed then, shaking his head lightly.

“Not even I’ve slept with that many women,” Riza countered, looking less than pleased.

“So you’re into females too?” Krista asked, curious.

“Not only does Liache prefer women only, but she also likes to surround herself with like-minded women. We’re all raging homos, ‘cept Homie over there.”

Homura cringed at Riza’s use of the awful pet name. “For the last time Riza, don’t call me that.”

“’Cause it makes you sound gay?”

“No because the very sound of it churns my stomach.”

Krista giggled lightly. “I have to agree with Homura on this one. It’s an awful name.”

Homura bowed towards Krista, grateful. “See? If she agrees then I must be right.”

Riza shrugged. “But the point is, Homura likes women too. _Only_ women. _All_ women.” She chuckled lightly and wiggled her eyebrows. “Maybe even _the_ woman.”

Krista had an idea as to what Riza was poking fun at, but the sudden discomfort that took Homura kept her from asking any questions. The fun atmosphere quickly dissipated and Homura ordered them all to get back to work. He smiled at Krista before leaving to dump his empty cup in the kitchen sink.

That had been just a month prior. A week after that Krista had settled even more firmly into her working environment. She had also been privileged to see the truth behind Homura and Liache’s relationship. Having woken a little early, she arrived before she usually would. Everyone was already there, chatting quietly in the kitchen while having some snacks. Before Krista could ask them where the charming man was, his voice flooded onto the floor, loud and furious. He stormed from Liache’s office then, face red and eyes so deeply angry that Krista was momentarily frightened of him. He did not even calm after seeing her.

Liache rushed out then too, grabbing Homura before he could take one more step away. She threw him up against the glass surrounding her office and lifted him right off of his feet, large hands clamped around the front of his shirt. They had then stared silently at each other, anger and frustration rippling off them in waves. No one moved a muscle and no one spoke. In fact, Alphard had moved closer to press a hand to Krista’s elbow, comforting the shivering blonde.

“Let me go,” Homura eventually said, soft and hesitant though his eyes were not. But Liache listened. She harshly released him, contorted her face in disgust and then returned to her office, door slamming shut so hard that the glass nearly shattered.

For the rest of the day Homura was miserable to be around. He was as polite as he could be, but the others advised Krista to stay away from him. It took a day for him to cool down when he got into a fight with the boss. They were right, and the next day he came to work a little later than usual, looking extra dishevelled but calm and collected. He’d even seemed happier, lighter. Krista could not fathom the complexity that he was, even though she thought that she had grown to understand him. It turned out that she still had a lot to learn from everyone, since they were not forthcoming with stories of their backgrounds or personal affairs—most of the time Krista felt in the dark.

Besides her work, Krista still went to Adrian’s cabin whenever she could. She would always sit with Petra and the two would talk about their lovers. It was nice to finally have someone that understood, and Krista could see, with surprise, that Petra and Nanaba were only growing closer, becoming more deeply intertwined.

After her attack on Raiden, Nanaba had begun meditating to redirect her harsh emotions. They did slight exercises in the group to help her trust in them around her mate grow. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust everyone, her instincts were just too strong. But over the two months she had grown calmer, and she now trusted the others fully around Petra. It had taken a lot of hard work but she was over the sudden urge to attack whenever someone looked Petra’s way.

Now, after training relentlessly for two whole months, Nanaba allowed everyone a single day off. Since there had been no more strange murders in town and no sign of the lycans, she decided to let their tensions ease. Though, she warned, that if anything happened they were to howl and assemble immediately, no matter what they had been doing at the time.

Krista and Ymir opted to simply stay in and watch movies. The blonde had taken the day off from work. Petra, on the other hand, had been chewing on an idea for a while and since Nanaba was off for a full day, she decided to broach the subject while she could.

“So, it’s been about two months since we connected,” she started lightly, tracing patterns on Nanaba’s scarred back. There were so many jagged lines, all in threes and fours running along her back in all directions.

“Hmm?” Nanaba enjoyed the caresses, but felt disconnected so she turned onto her back and pulled Petra on top of her. “There’s something you want to ask. I can feel it.”

Petra sighed lightly, wondering how long Nanaba had known. “You know what it is, don’t you?”

“I have an inkling.”

“Is that a yes?”

Nanaba, slightly nervous now, lifted a hand to touch Petra’s cheek. “I’m terrified, but I’ll do it for you.”

Petra rolled her eyes. “It’s only Levi, Nanaba. He can’t hurt you.”

Nanaba nodded, though she remained unconvinced. “He can’t physically hurt me, but he can still reject me, and that’ll hurt you. I see what kind of person he is by your memories. He’s tough to please.”

“Yeah. He took Eren leaving pretty badly, so he might be a little harsher.”

“But if you really want me to meet your brother, then I will. He’s your only family left and it means a lot to you.”

Smiling, Petra shifted up until she could touch their noses. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

Nanaba wiggled her eyebrows. “I have to be since I snagged you.”

“Oh you, being so charming so early.”

Nanaba laughed and then tumbled out of bed, ignoring Petra’s protests. “He’ll be here soon, won’t he? I caught you thinking about it.”

Petra grumbled in annoyance. “I regret setting this up before speaking with you.”

Nanaba stood and headed out of the bedroom to the bathroom, where a shower awaited. She spent most of her time in Petra’s home and had already asked Adrian to cast a spell over the area to mask her scent and keep lycans from approaching it. Though the spell was faint, it would work as long as the lycan did not realize it was being averted.

Petra watched Nanaba’s firm backside as she walked, heating up bright at the thoughts that she had afterwards. She then heard Nanaba’s laughter and a confident invitation to join the shower. Seeing no reason to refuse, she quickly left the bed to pad barefoot towards the bathroom. Nanaba pulled her in before she even realized it, and after being pressed to the wall she released a low moan. It would be a while before they left the shower, and it wasn’t until Nanaba smelt a new scent approaching the house that they realized it was Levi and scrambled to get some clothes on.

Petra was done first and she hurried out to open for him, telling Nanaba to just come out when she was ready. They were both nervous now, and it showed with the way Nanaba’s brows creased as she watched Petra hurry away.

After opening the door, Petra was greeted by the familiar scowl on her brother’s face. “Levi!” she exclaimed, smiling. “You’re exactly on time.”

“And you took forever to answer the door,” he commented unhappily, pushing by her to enter the house. “So why did you call me over? I’ve barely seen you in the past two months.”

Petra exhaled lightly and closed the door. She hated how her hands shook. Levi went over to sit down on a couch while Petra remained standing. “Well,” she started. “There’s someone I’d like to introduce.”

“If it’s that thing Krista has latched onto, no thanks,” he commented. “I’ve heard enough about her from you to know that she isn’t my kind of acquaintance.”

“No, I don’t want to introduce you to Ymir. Why would I even want to do that?” Petra gave him a lifted brow as he thought about it and inevitably shrugged, because he didn’t know.

“So who is it?”

“I’ve started dating someone,” Petra admitted quietly. Her face transformed to nervousness, a stark difference to the sternness she had shown a moment ago. Levi noticed but he remained unmoved.

“How long?”

“Well, um, two months.”

The only reaction Levi showed was to flick his eyes to the hallway and then back. “And two months is serious enough to introduce me to this person?”

 _No, it’s because she’s literally my soulmate from many lifetimes before and even though it has only been two months, it feels like two hundred years_. “Yes. We’ve gotten extremely serious, and I just felt like introducing you.”

Levi, shrugging, crossed his arms over his chest. “Does this person make you happy?”

“More than you can imagine.”

“Then bring them out. Now.”

Petra rolled her eyes at his urgency and quietly asked for Nanaba to join her, wondering why she’d waited so long. She had felt the blonde’s presence nearby, but she had remained hidden. When she did step out of the hallway and to Petra’s side, Levi quietly stood to approach. The moment his lips pressed together, Petra knew he was about to say something unsavoury, as he was unpleased.

“Wonderful,” he commented dryly, looking _up_ at the blonde that towered over him. He hated it. Hated his small size, hated that this person was so tall and hated that his sister had gone for a tall person.

Nanaba lifted an eyebrow at his disgusted expression, wondering what she had done in the span of three seconds to have already garnered his disapproval.

“Yes, she’s tall,” Petra said, hands on her hips. “And she didn’t ask for it like you didn’t ask to be a midget.”

Levi’s eyes, finally showing some emotion, flicked to Petra to give her a glare. He then looked back to Nanaba, scrutinizing her. “You look tough,” he said. He held out his hand.

Nanaba shared a look with Petra, truly unsure if this man was about to accept her or reject her. She took his hand, clamping down hard on it just as he did. Levi seemed genuinely surprised at her strength, having expected her to show some indication of pain—he liked to have a firm handshake that got the nerves shaking.

“Hmm,” he hummed, releasing his hold to run his eyes up the length of Nanaba. “You really are more than just looks, it seems. What do you do?”

“I train people,” Nanaba supplied.

“At a gym?”

“More at home, really.”

“I see. Have you ever killed a person?”

Petra visibly startled at the question, knowing it was coming but still not prepared. He asked this of everyone Petra brought into her life.

Nanaba crossed her arms over her chest, amused. “No, no I have not. Came close a few times, though.” All nervousness had left her, and now she was just thoroughly amused. This human, she could see, was not like the others. He thought himself impervious to everything and expected all to be intimidated by him. He was becoming unnerved that Nanaba didn’t back down at the harshness in his eyes.

Waving his hand, he returned to sitting. “Hurt my sister and I’ll rip your eyes out and shove them up your ass,” he threatened. “Now where is the tea?”

Apparently that was it. Petra relaxed, thereby allowing Nanaba to relax, and she smiled fondly. Pulling Nanaba with her to the kitchen, she stepped up to kiss her before laughing lightly.

“He likes how strong you look. It means that you can protect me.”

“So he accepts me?”

“The moment he asks for tea, he accepts anything being presented to him.”

“Your brother is really weird.”

Petra shook her head, laughing. “But he’s family, and he’s all I have.”

Nanaba suddenly stilled Petra’s hands, pressing firmly to her back and pressed a kiss to her neck. “You have me now. And if you want, in the future we can have a couple of kids and grow the family.”

Petra wasn’t at all surprised at this. She turned around in Nanaba’s arms, eyes shining with every bit of emotion she felt. “You’ll have to marry me first,” she warned. “And I want three kids.”

“Three?” Nanaba lifted her to place her down on the counter, bringing Petra up higher. “You sure you want that many mini-Nanaba’s running around?”

“Of course I do.” The orange-blonde leaned in to brush their noses. “I know that there’s a way to have your babies. I saw it in your head.”

Nanaba leaned forward and pecked her lips. “Maybe. Adrian has a few contacts.”

“He’ll manage, I’m sure of it.”

“You know, after this mess with the wolves is over, we should get married for real.”

Petra’s breath left her. She knew that they had only been partly joking until now, and Nanaba’s comments had made it entirely serious. “Really?”

“Yeah. It’ll give us something to look forward to after the fight. It’s human custom to marry, right?”

“What is custom for your kind, though?”

Nanaba smiled in amusement, expecting the counter. “Actually, with us, when we bite and form a connection it’s considered a sacred union.”

“So basically, to your kind we’re already married.”

“Basically.”

“That’s amazing.”

“Normal cynans can connect with a bite,” Nanaba added. “But if they aren’t truly mates, they won’t have a deep connection like we do, and they rarely bind so completely that they feel like one. Not all of us has a true mate.”

“I thought you all did?”

“It depends on who cast the spell on themselves in the past. We, in whichever first life, were apparently so in love that we wanted to be in love forever.”

“I’m glad that we did it.”

Nanaba kissed her, elated in the turn their conversation had taken. During the two months she had been talking to Adrian about that spell that would allow a human to carry a cynan or lycan baby. He told her that the spell had never really been lost. It would just take a while to get it.

As their kiss deepened, Nanaba pulled Petra more firmly against her. “I love you,” she mumbled desperately.

 _I love you too_ , Petra answered telepathically. Nanaba chuckled in response, delighted that Petra was fast mastering the art of their connection. Where Krista and Ymir had taken a while, Nanaba and Petra were quickly catching up.

From the doorway Levi appeared, pausing to clear his throat. He first waited for his sister and her lover to part, and then he crossed her arms over his chest. “It’s been twenty minutes,” he deadpanned. “Where is the goddamn tea?”

XxX

Surprisingly, Levi had stayed until evening. Though he looked emotionally constipated the entire time, he allowed himself to speak with Nanaba, to ask her questions and attempt to get to know her. Petra was touched, because it showed that he truly cared enough about his sister to get to know the person she loved. When he eventually did leave, Petra and Nanaba were both exhausted. They embraced in the hallway, halfway to the bedroom.

“That was exhausting.”

“It was,” Nanaba agreed. “But you are happy, and it was worth it.”

“But I’m seriously tired now. Is training continuing tomorrow?”

Nanaba lifted Petra into her arms—since she was tired—and carried her off to the bedroom, grinning. She nodded. “Yeah, we have to. Ymir has been struggling without Krista but she’s getting better. All we really need to work on now is group coordination.” She placed Petra down on the bed and then, after slipping into something more comfortable, climbed in with her.

Petra wound her arms around Nanaba’s neck, a finger brushing over a scar just by her shoulder. It made her think, and her eyes shone in worry. “No one is going to die, right? We’ll scare the lycans off and go back to normal.”

Nanaba lifted a hand to touch Petra’s lips. “I won’t lie,” she said. “There’s a chance some of us might not make it. Lycan’s are… they are much stronger than us.”

“B-but you have Raiden!”

“One Alpha is not enough.”

“What about Adrian? Doesn’t he have any spells that could help?”

“His people never made spells that would work as weapons. All they use it for is protection, unions and healing.”

Petra’s face fell into worry.

“Hey,” Nanaba said softly, pulling her closer. “I can’t promise that I’ll live, but I can promise that I’ll do everything in my damn power to win this. We all have to. If I lose, then you lose too. I can’t handle the thought of losing you again. We can’t stumble through lifetimes until we meet again.”

Petra relaxed. “At least I know we’ll meet again in another life. But I trust you, and if you go, then I’ll go too.”

Nanaba hated the thought but she couldn’t bring herself to disagree. She knew how it felt. There was no way she could continue this life without Petra there by her side. It was morbid, she knew, and unhealthy, but that is what they had doomed themselves to so long ago. If anything, she would do her utmost to help them win this.

To calm her, Nanaba pressed a small kiss to Petra’s forehead and then hugged her tightly, allowing her unusual warmth to seep through her to Petra, encompassing her. “I love you,” she breathed. “And that won’t change even if I die after this battle.”

Petra opened her mouth to respond, to say that she felt the same, but startled harshly when Nanaba was suddenly gone from her arms and across the room. A howl ripped through the air and Nanaba’s ears were out. Her eyes shone fiercely in the darkness.

“Nanaba?”

“Stay in bed!” Nanaba ordered, panicked. “It’s a wolf. It’s calling me.” She said no more and shifted quickly, running from the sliding door she had opened in her haste. She then lifted herself onto her hind legs and released a howl so loud it shook Petra where she lay.

Heart thudding, Nanaba hoped that her group was awake to hear her howl. It was a warning, for them to collect at the cabin and to not follow the sound of the wolf. It could be a trap.

_Give Krista a call and ask her to get you with Ymir. Go to the cabin with them. I’ll return after… after I see what it wants._

As the leader of the group, Nanaba had to. She sent Petra a comforting gaze, ignoring her pleas to stay. She darted off into the woods, the sound of the wolf’s howl still sharp in her ears.

 _Come get me,_ it had said. Nanaba didn’t know if it was an invitation to her death or for conversation. She made sure to remain alert as she ran, and when she heard the echoing howls of her cynans, all telling her to be safe and that they understood, she pumped her legs harder. There were no lycan scents in the area, and when she came to one, it was at the edge of town.

Coming to a harsh stop, Nanaba let her nails dig into the soil as her nostrils flared, lips pulling back. From the darkness of the trees a large figure emerged, ears flicking back and forth. It was definitely a lycan, and Nanaba felt a sense of calm overtake her. There was only one, she was sure. No lycan could mask their scent so well, especially in packs.

 _Why did you call me here?_ Nanaba asked.

The wolf, fur thick and white and eyes so brown that they glowed golden, remained silent as the wolf snuffed at the air. Eventually the lycan seemed to relax, coming to the same conclusion that Nanaba had. It was strange, Nanaba realized. Though from the same origin, lycans and cynans looked so different when compared to each other.

A lycan’s waist was impossibly thin, with their torsos almost too large. Their limbs were long and lanky, thick veins and strong muscles visible, whereas a cynan looked much like the traditional wolf, balanced in proportion. Their limbs were more equal in size, not so long and definitely not as pronounced. A lycan’s feet were impossibly large, with nails that emerged fully when the creature was threatened.

The lycan, male from his scent, sat down and cocked his head to the side. _To warn you,_ he answered. His voice was smooth and fluid as it entered Nanaba’s mind, and she took a step back in surprise.

_Of what? Why would you even want to warn me?_

The lycan’s eyes dropped to the floor, concern in them. _A human in your nest is in danger. She is small and blonde. I fear that, if I don’t warn you now, there may be no coming back._

 _Human?_ Nanaba immediately bristled, hairs standing up as she began to growl. _Which human?_

The lycan shrugged. _I’ve done enough of a curtsey to warn you. What you do now is up to you._ He stood then, shaking to get the dirt from his fur. _You’ve been a fool to allow a human in the fold. They aren’t like us, and they don’t belong in our affairs._ He scratched at the ground in disgust, teeth bared. But he said no more, and he darted off into the trees. Nanaba let him, staring into the space he had once occupied, thrumming with anger.

She took off then, running so quickly that no human eye would have been able to see her. She followed her own scent, and then left the city towards Adrian’s cabin. When she reached it, her speed was too much, and she tumbled to the ground after her limbs lost their balance. A tree snapped in half at the impact, and before Nanaba even hit the ground her group was surrounding her, all thinking at once, licking her to make sure she was not injured. But she was too panicked to answer them, and with her remaining strength she shifted and went over to the patio, where both Petra and Krista stood, Ymir diligent behind them. Nanaba pulled Petra to her, collapsing on the floor with a heavy breath.

“I’m sorry,” she choked out.

Adrian crouched down by them, murmuring softly as he touched Nanaba’s shoulder. Her heart began to calm, as did her breathing, and when she recovered he tapped her lightly and waited until their eyes met.

“What did they want?”

Nanaba told them. While she clutched to Petra, she explained the brief meeting and the warning. Ymir became violent after hearing it, and she shifted without control to stalk about the area, growling into the darkness.

“Everyone, calm down!” Adrian exclaimed, standing with his palms out. The sight relaxed the cynans, and they all quietly shifted back to their human forms. “This is their aim. By giving us a warning, both Nanaba and Ymir will become irrational with worry.”

“We can’t take this lightly!” Ymir bellowed, face red.

“Calm down, young one. I understand your fear. They will not attack us. Clearly they have ways to watch us, and they want dissention.”

“Adrian, this isn’t a trick!” For once, Nanaba was in full agreement with Ymir. “That lycan seemed to really care! Why else would he have risked coming out to warn me?”

“For this exact purpose!” Adrian shot back, hands twisting together. It was the first time he was displaying his anger so openly. “With the two of you losing your minds, they can sit back and snicker!”

“He’s right,” Maeve said. She placed a hand on Nanaba’s shoulder to calm her. “They are only looking to confuse and panic us.”

Nanaba swallowed her disagreement. She hated the irrational anger coursing through her veins. She could feel Petra’s gentle urging for her to calm, and so she tried to. “I want to leave,” she said softly. “At least for two weeks. I don’t want Petra here.”

Adrian had been afraid of that, but he knew he could not say no. Nanaba was an adult. “Nanaba, if that is what you want, then I won’t stop you.”

“Wait!” Hanji exclaimed. “What’ll happen to our training?”

“Nanaba, you can’t just leave,” Raiden piped up. “If they attack us when you’re away, who will lead us?”

“Maeve will,” Nanaba answered steadily.

“If Nanaba leaves it’ll be to the resort, and if she does I will accompany her,” Maeve said. “I’d like to see my family for a little while.”

While the others tried to talk Nanaba down, to convince her to stay, Krista felt Ymir’s frustration. “You can’t,” she said softly. “I won’t go with you.”

Ymir looked down to Krista’s face. “I won’t leave you here.”

“So stay. Train with the others while Nanaba is gone, if she decides to go. I think Adrian is right. He’s had more experience than us.”

Ymir swallowed harshly and she felt grateful for Krista in her arms, grounding her. “You really think that?”

“I can feel it. I have work, too. I can’t just request leave after barely working.”

Ymir closed her eyes to breathe. “Krista, I’m scared for you. What if that wolf was talking about you and not Petra?”

“Then at least Petra will be safe,” Krista said. She gently touched Ymir’s cheek to coax her eyes to open. “I trust Adrian, but most of all I trust you. If anything happens you’ll be by my side so quickly that they won’t be able to lay a finger on me.”

Ymir hated that she doubted it, and Krista could feel that, but she did not voice it. “Okay,” she admitted, breath shaky. “I’ll trust in you because you trust in me. If Nanaba goes, that’s up to her. I’ll stay, with you. But please, promise that you’ll be safe.”

Krista smiled in relief and pulled Ymir down to touch their foreheads. “I promise. Homura and the others will protect me, too. I’m sure of it. I won’t go anywhere without you, except for work.”

“Maybe I should start visiting you at work.”

Krista imagined it and shook her head. She’d hate that Krista was surrounded by so many women, and though she trusted Krista most, the blonde knew that her mate could be jealous at times. “You just focus on training with the others. When your training is done, then maybe I’ll introduce you to them.”

Ymir smiled, though hesitant. “We should probably tell Adrian that we’ll stay.”

Krista took her hand. “We probably should.”

They went over to Adrian and tore his attention from the others, still talking to Nanaba. “Adrian,” Ymir said. “We just want to let you know that we trust you. We’ll stay, even if Nanaba decides to leave.”

Adrian’s smile was almost heart-breaking. “Thank you, Ymir, Krista. Now if only Nanaba had the same thought.”

But she didn’t, and no matter how many times they argued, Nanaba came to the same conclusion; she wanted to be gone until she was sure her love was safe. Petra could only watch and follow Nanaba’s lead.

 


	13. Chapter 13

The morning was still when Ymir stirred. Months of routine dictated that she woke with the sun, and though she still felt the waves of exhaustion over her body, she could not return to sleep. Her stress had reached new levels, and because of this Ymir sometimes struggled to sleep at all. But she remained calm as she finally took in her surroundings, remembering that she and Krista had watched a movie in the lounge while they ate take-out, and then had ended up filling an entirely different sort of hunger. They had fallen asleep right after, both too tired to even get up and find a blanket. So they were naked, and Ymir snorted lightly in amusement as Krista sighed in her sleep and snuggled a little closer.

The blonde’s pale skin almost had a glow to it as vague but strengthening sunlight streamed into the room. Ymir didn’t even mind the annoying light. The sight of Krista draped over her, naked and bare, made Ymir’s heart beat twice its regular speed. Her hands twitched, and without Ymir consenting they lifted to caress lines down the small woman’s back. Krista sighed lightly again and Ymir found herself smiling.

_Ymir…_

Krista was definitely still asleep, but Ymir still quickly glanced down to see if Krista had awoken. The word had been faint but there, and Ymir realized quickly that Krista had managed to somehow mentally speak in her sleep. It had started happening recently, and Ymir wondered if she had done it to Krista at all. The blonde hadn’t mentioned it, but maybe she had to bring the subject up herself. She wondered if Adrian knew about it. Was it normal to almost hear each other’s thoughts even when asleep?

_God, she’s beautiful,_ Ymir thought. She felt almost breathless as her rough fingertips enjoyed the silky softness of Krista’s warm skin. Since Ymir was already so naturally hot, Krista hadn’t been cold at all despite being exposed to the cool air all night. It seemed that she was even lightly sweating, and Ymir couldn’t help but lean down to gently press her lips to Krista’s neck, tongue darting out softly to taste her skin. A large breath left through Ymir’s flaring nostrils, and then a low growl rumbled in her chest. It was a gentle, needy sound but it had yet to rouse Krista from her slumber.

Panting, Ymir’s lips travelled lower still to the dip between Krista’s neck and shoulder. It was a place she had bitten many times, and though she felt like doing it now, she would never when Krista wasn’t awake to give permission. So she simply kissed the skin there, lips caressing every inch it could. Her hands continued to wonder, alternating between caressing Krista’s sides to gripping her hips. Small bruises sat there from the night before, and while Ymir felt a tiny spark of guilt at having put them there, she remained fairly guilt free because Krista had assured her that she loved it rough sometimes and didn’t mind the bruises. Lately Krista had been getting a little more aggressive when they made love, and though Ymir enjoyed it, she wondered what had caused it.

Ymir whimpered lightly when Krista finally responded to the attention by moaning against her ear. Krista’s breath hitched and when her body moved Ymir knew that she was awake, and she stilled her hands at Krista’s hips.

“Don’t stop,” Krista groaned softly.

Ymir obeyed, eyes already clouded over and glowing. She felt Krista shift lower and then the blonde lightly bit into her shoulder. It made Ymir falter for a moment as her eyes widened, but then her breathing fastened even more and her hands increased their eagerness. Excited and aroused, Ymir finally slipped her hand between their bodies, tracing patterns down the length of Krista’s abdomen until she finally found her favourite spot between Krista’s legs. The heat and wetness that touched her fingertips sent a sharp wave of desire through Ymir, and before she knew it she was already reaching out for Krista’s thoughts.

_Good morning,_ she said, waves of emotion intertwined with the mental words.

Krista moaned out loud as Ymir found her most sensitive spot and gave it a long stroke. _Morning,_ she responded almost breathlessly. _Excited already?_

_You were there and I was watching and I… couldn’t help myself._

Krista sighed lightly and shifted her hips. Ymir’s fingers continued to stroke her, sending familiar sparks of pleasure through her body. She reached out until she found Ymir’s free hand, and then she intertwined their fingers and brought their connected hands to her chest. She pressed her other hand to Ymir’s chest, and then she lifted herself as much as she could. With her hair dishevelled and her blue eyes still closed with exhaustion, she looked adorable. But with the way her lips parted as she moaned and how her hips moved against Ymir’s hand, she looked exotic.

Ymir felt herself in awe as she watched. A familiar burn worked its way into her chest and as her teeth began to ache, Krista’s head tilted back, exposing her tender neck. The opportunity was there, but Ymir wanted to continue watching. Her eyes travelled along Krista’s pale, sweat slicked body. It was beautiful, and wave after wave of pleasure and desire washed over her just at the sight of the blonde. Ymir was only pressing a thumb to her clit, rubbing in gentle circles and it was already driving Krista close to the edge.

“Ymir,” Krista moaned. She opened her eyes, revealing them to be cloudy with need. Her voice had dropped, filled with honey and desire. Ymir swallowed thickly and watched, fascinated as Krista took over, reached down to still Ymir’s hand and started moving her hips, roughly taking her pleasure as she wanted it. A bite would have been fantastic, but Ymir couldn’t move. She was transfixed, almost unbreathing, as Krista rocked against her hand until she shuddered in release and fell forward, panting and gasping for breath.

“What a way to wake up,” she uttered, laughing lightly at Ymir’s lack of response. _Cat got your tongue?_

Ymir’s chest rumbled lightly with both a laugh and a growl. She was almost burning with desire herself, and couldn’t help but move her hand lower until she could allow two fingers to sink in. Krista was by far wet enough, and since she was still sensitive from her small release, she shuddered and stiffened at the sudden fullness.

_That was amazing,_ Ymir thought. “Do it again.”

Krista smirked as she copied her earlier movement and lifted herself. This time she kept both hands pressed to Ymir’s chest. A fire filled her blue irises and Ymir almost whimpered like a puppy at the sight. She did not dare move her hand, and when Krista suddenly squeezed around her fingers, she bit into her lip hard enough to draw blood. When Krista saw this she quickly leaned forward, lips pressing gently to Ymir’s as her tongue emerged and swept across her bottom lip. The taste of blood rested on Krista’s tongue and she found herself to like it. Knowing that it would cause a great response, she relayed the thought to Ymir through their connection. Even though they weren’t connected through a bite, they were very steadily growing closer to one entity. It happened slowly. As each caress grew more flurried, their souls would link hands and embrace eternity together. They weren’t completely connected yet, so Ymir couldn’t entirely feel the pleasure that Krista was feeling. Most of her wanted to, but like earlier she was frozen in place, eyes lidded and chest heaving.

Krista leaned back, tongue sliding along her lip where it tingled. She smiled in the most tantalizing way and then she finally rocked her hips forward, causing the fingers inside of her to graze against her inner walls. Her eyes immediately slid shut and she moaned under her breath. The only movement from Ymir came in the form of her fingers curling, but after that she remained still. Krista had control, and she slowly used it as she lifted her hips and then dropped back down. Ymir’s own need throbbed within her as she watched her fingers sink into Krista, sliding out as she lifted, only to be swallowed again. The heat was intense, and Ymir savoured the sensation of being inside of her mate.

Neither of them were in a mood to take it slow, so Krista curled her hands into fists and then increased her pace, rocking and bucking her hips hard and fast. Eventually she dropped her head forward, begged for more and then moaned when Ymir inserted a third finger. Ymir moaned before a low growl rumbled in her chest, and then her eyes dropped to where their bodies met and her skin burnt. Krista was breathing haggardly, hair falling around her face. Ymir couldn’t take it anymore. She sat up, her free arm wrapping around Krista’s lower back, and then she sunk her teeth into the spot between Krista’s neck and shoulder just as Krista thrust down on her fingers. Both of them moaned loudly as pleasure exploded around them. Suddenly it was difficult to remain upright, and Ymir fell back with Krista on her chest. She remained buried deep, both with her fingers and teeth, and the two of them felt the shared tendrils of pleasure as Krista came hard. When the fluttering around Ymir’s fingers finally calmed, she released her bite with a sigh and dropped her head to the side. The both of them were sweaty, but the euphoria had been worth it.

“Wow,” Krista finally commented. “That was amazing.”

Ymir chuckled lightly. “I think my fingers are really comfy,” she said, wiggling said fingers. They were still inside of Krista, so the blonde moaned lightly. She felt Ymir begin to pull out and quickly reached out to stop her.

“Not yet,” she said softly. “Just a little longer.”

Ymir grinned and pressed a kiss to Krista’s brow. “I think I should let you know that you’re late for work.”

At this Krista shot up. She found the clock with her eyes and realized that Ymir was right. Hadn’t it just been really early? How had the hours gone by so quickly?

“Damn,” Krista cursed. She scrambled off of Ymir’s lap, sad at the loss of Ymir’s fingers, and gathered her clothes from the floor. “I really need to go!”

Ymir sat up slowly and stretched, yawning. “Just a minute ago you were enjoying these digits.” She wiggled the fingers in question, and when Krista glanced at her she popped them into her mouth, licking them clean. The way her sharp teeth came into focus afterwards made Krista shivered, but she could not allow herself to be distracted.

“We will definitely go again when I get home!” she promised. She didn’t wait for Ymir’s sarcastic response, and hurried off to the shower. Ymir only had a moment to admire her ass before she disappeared down the hall.

Sighing, Ymir collapsed onto her back and grinned up at the ceiling. Hell, did she enjoy morning sex.

XxX

Ymir was grinning rakishly to herself as Krista drove her to Adrian’s cabin. Since finishing a shower of her own, Ymir’s mood had been quite good. She looked over to Krista in the driver’s seat, and caught herself grinning more broadly. Krista felt the emotion behind it before she even turned to quickly look at Ymir. She felt herself blush lightly.

“What?”

“You know what,” Ymir responded.

Krista swallowed lightly, grip tightening on the steering wheel. If she wasn’t driving then she would have attempted to hide her face.

“I love when you take control like that,” Ymir continued regardless of Krista’s embarrassment. “It was fantastic.”

“Well I’m glad that you enjoyed yourself,” Krista said, trying her best not to blush too badly. Something intense had overcome her earlier. A burning ache had sizzled underneath her skin and all she had been able to think about was riding Ymir’s fingers. Now she realized how she must have looked from Ymir’s point of view, and the thought had her horrified. Usually she preferred to have Ymir on top of her, taking control, moving inside of her. This time had been completely different.

“Oh I did.” Ymir chuckled. “If Nanaba was here I would totally brag to her.”

Krista felt her mood dampen only slightly. “I forgot that she left.”

Ymir sensed it too, and she sighed. It was Monday, and Nanaba had left the previous day with Petra and Maeve to the safety of the resort. She was adamant on being away until she was sure Petra wasn’t a target. Ymir was slightly concerned that Krista was actually the intended victim, but she did not mention it. She knew that Nanaba was utterly terrified. Of everyone, Ymir understood it most. It hurt a little that Nanaba would choose Petra over everyone so very quickly, but Ymir understood and respected that. She would probably do the same if she had been in their shoes—newly mated, desperate for each other and completely immersed in each other. A little part of Ymir missed that, but she was relieved that she and Krista had calmed down. They weren’t so fervent for each other anymore, not like they had been in the beginning. Now it was a long, slow and wonderful burn, not a suddenly intense one that left them breathless for days. While everything was definitely still as passionate, they were not as crazy.

“Wonder how long she’ll be gone,” Ymir commented.

Krista parked in front of the cabin. “Hopefully not long. Adrian seems really lonely without her.”

Ymir climbed out of the car and rounded it to Krista’s side. She leaned in to press a long, lingering kiss to her lips. “He’ll be fine,” she decided. “He has Raiden to bother him.” After taking one more kiss, Ymir finally straightened. “I’ll see you later then. Be safe, okay?”

Krista smiled as she nodded. “Always.”

Ymir stood and watched as Krista reversed and left. She did not move an inch as she watched the car in the distance, almost sadly. With a heavy heart, she heaved a breath and turned, but did not head into the cabin yet.

_I miss you already,_ she sent to Krista.

_I miss you too, Ymir. Think of me while I work._

Ymir grinned and shoved her hands into her pockets. _I always do._ With a lighter heart, Ymir finally stepped forward and headed inside. She received a large amount of teasing until Adrian calmed the cynans down enough to set them to work.

XxX

Krista parked her car in her usual spot and had just shut the engine off when her phone chimed. She took it out as she hopped out of the car and pressed a button on her car keys to lock it. Once that was done she paused long enough to tap on her screen and bring the message up. It was from Petra.

_“Hey cuz. I’m sorry that I forgot to message you yesterday. We arrived safely at the resort and Nanaba just made breakfast for me. We’re cuddling in bed and sharing food. She’s such a charming person. I met Maeve’s wife and kids yesterday. It made me think about… things. Anyway… I don’t know if you’re mad at me or not. I’m sorry that we left. Nanaba explained how she felt, and I feel the same. I’m safe here. We’ll be back as soon as things clear up! Stay safe yourself and don’t leave Ymir’s side. If anything weird happens, tell her. Love, Petra.”_

Krista smiled softly and quickly typed up a response, assuring Petra that both she and Ymir understood, and that they should enjoy themselves while they had the time. When she was done she finally stepped away from her car, intent on heading into the building. She was already well over two and a half hours late, and she hoped that Homura wouldn’t be upset about it. This was her first time arriving late, so maybe she could get away with it.

Just before she entered the building, Krista spotted a figure heading towards her and she paused. When she turned she swallowed lightly, heart suddenly pounding in fear. A woman stopped beside her, incredibly tall, well built and blonde. Her hair was slicked back with a few strands hanging in her face, and her impassive expression was almost intimidating. She towered over Krista, but she did not appear dangerous. Krista only slightly felt scared, but that was more of her own fears than any vibes from the stranger.

“Can I help you?” Krista asked.

The woman reacted slightly, eyes darting down to glance at Krista’s lips. “Do you work here?” she asked.

“I do. Is something wrong?”

The woman didn’t respond. She took one more step closer into Krista’s personal space and then she leaned down. Either she did not care that she was making Krista increasingly uncomfortable, or she was simply unaware of it. The woman further deepened Krista’s worry and fear when she inhaled deeply, almost as if she was trying to scent something.

“I’m Jean,” the woman finally said, straightening. She lifted her nose once to sniff the air. Immediately she turned to look at the building, eyes hard and suspicious.

“J-Jean.” Krista ran a hand through her hair. “I would appreciate if you didn’t do that again.”

Jean nodded once.  “Of course. How many do you work with?” she asked.

“H-how many? Of what?”

Jean stilled. A slow look of surprise took her, and then she glanced down at Krista with unnaturally glowing eyes. “How many lycans are in this building where you work?” she asked. “How do you not know of them?”

A sharp spark of panic shot through Krista. There were lycans in this building? Who was this woman? Krista gave her a long look and realized that she couldn’t possibly be a human. Since she didn’t have Ymir’s nose she couldn’t tell what she was, but a deep part of Krista sunk lightly as she found one sentence hanging in her mind: _She’s a lycan._

“U-um, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Krista stammered, backing away slowly. Jean watched her but made no move to stop her. If anything, she looked alarmed now.

“You have a cynan lover,” Jean pointed out. “You know what a lycan is.”

“How… how do you know that?”

Jean’s eyes narrowed lightly. “Your scent is weird. At first I thought you were a lycan too, but then I got a closer scent.”

Krista’s mouth went dry. Was… was this woman going to attack her? Kidnap her? Despite the fact that a pack of wolves might very well be part of Krista’s work, all she could think of in that moment was that her car was the only one in the area, and she was utterly alone. Should Jean seek to do anything, she would be free to do so without much struggle. But she didn’t. She saw the panic on Krista’s face and quickly bowed her head.

“I apologise for frightening you. I mean no harm.” She lifted her head again and levelled her eyes with Krista’s. Now Jean’s eyes were glowing brightly, and the sight made Krista shudder. She nodded quickly and then turned, hurrying into the building. No footsteps followed her but Krista expected to feel hands clamp down around her as she rushed to the elevator. Once inside she looked towards where Jean had been, and noticed that she was gone. Not even the elevator closing eased her panic. She thought about alerting Ymir, but decided not to when she arrived on her floor and was greeted by Homura’s cheerful smile. The sight of him almost made her weep, and she staggered into the man’s arms.

“Krista! Are you alright?”

Krista nodded, shuddering. She couldn’t tell him that she had just met a lycan for the first time, or that Jean had mentioned that other lycans could be in the area. Though, Krista realized, Jean didn’t seem happy with the other lycans she had mentioned. Were they perhaps from warring packs? Krista definitely needed to mention it to Adrian, if anything.

“I’m fine,” she said finally. She shakily pulled away from Homura and smiled up at him. “I’m just exhausted.”

Homura pressed a hand to her forehead, eyes concerned. “Is this why you’re late? Are you sick?”

A light blush took Krista’s face and she shook her head. “I overslept. I feel fine though, just a little tired.”

Homura took a breath to respond, but then he suddenly paused. A strange look crossed his face and he leaned forward slightly, almost exactly how Jean had. He inhaled once, and then he straightened and smiled. “Of course.”

“Krista!” Riza shouted from her cubicle. “I have a bet with Rui that you’re late because you were banging your girl. Am I right?”

Homura stepped aside so that Krista could see Riza clearly. The little blonde blushed bright red, momentarily forgetting Homura’s strange action. Riza hollered in amusement, slapping her desk. “Holy tits, I was right!”

Rui sighed in disappointment, shaking her head. She reluctantly handed a few bills over to the redhead. “You win this time.”

Riza stuck her tongue out, cackling. “I win every damn time! You’re always naïve for betting against me to begin with!”

“Alright you two,” Homura voiced. “Enough teasing. Get back to work.” He turned to look down at Krista “Would you like some coffee before heading off to do your duties?”

Krista nodded gratefully. “After the morning I’ve had, I think I need it.” She expected Homura to question her about her morning, but he didn’t. He simply chuckled and led her to the kitchen she had already grown accustomed to. When she was leaning against the counter, nursing a warm mug of coffee, she finally noticed that something was off. Homura was staring across the room out of the window, and Krista had never seen him look so panicked, and it honestly frightened her.

XxX

Over the course of the week Jean often appeared across the road from Krista’s work. She would stand there, staring upwards. Sometimes Krista felt like Jean knew exactly where she was, and a few times they would meet gazes. It unnerved her, but every time Homura appeared, Jean vanished and Krista’s panic slowly eased. Eventually, on the next Monday Krista decided that it was time to tell Homura. She hoped that he wouldn’t be upset.

“Homura?”

The white haired man looked up from the papers he had been studying. His office was the one beside Liache’s, and so he was surprised to see Krista approach him. “Krista. Is everything okay?” His voice was gentle, as if he could sense Krista’s fear. She felt grateful for his sensitivity and already felt herself calming down in his presence.

“Um, there’s something that’s been bothering me lately,” she began.

“Is it Riza? Is she making inappropriate comments?”

Krista’s tension broke as she laughed. “Well, Riza does tease me a lot, but that’s not it.”

Homura smiled, glad to have made the blonde relax. He sat back in his seat and clasped his hands together over his lap. “Then what is it? You can trust me.”

“Since last Monday this woman has been standing outside of the building every morning. She’s there when I get here and I just have this weird feeling about her.”

Homura immediately grew tense and concerned. “Is it someone you know?”

“No.”

“Ever seen her before?”

“I haven’t.”

“Do you think she could possibly be a stalker?”

Krista shrugged. She wanted to mention the lycan part, but she wasn’t sure if she should. Homura would call her crazy anyway. “I really don’t know.”

Homura stood, rounding the table until he could sit down on his desk and press a hand to Krista’s shoulder. “I’ll sort this out, I promise.” Though he was a very kind and warm man, Homura didn’t often touch her. So Krista relished the warmth from his palm, seeking comfort from it. When she left his office a moment later, she felt lighter.

The next day Krista noticed with relief that Jean was nowhere in sight. The stranger would not appear again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Jean in this story has nothing to do with Jean Kirschtein. Her character is from Claymore, and I liked her enough to use her. Also, kudos to anyone that caught the M.E reference ;D Lastly, sorry for the late update guys. I just finished school, received my national senior certificate and I was in a bit of a dark place. I’m getting back into writing now, so BDII should update more regularly again. I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Violence and mention of rape and abuse.

_“Adrian,” Nanaba cried, hands covering her sweat and blood-stained face. “Li hurt me again!”_

_Adrian immediately dropped the book he had been reading to scoop Nanaba into his arms and survey the many scratches along her face and neck. “What did Li do?” he asked, worried and slightly panicked. Nanaba was so very small, especially for her age. Others at her school usually took advantage of that, and the few like Nanaba that she knew bullied her just the same. Adrian immediately began to heal her, and he hoped with all his might that the scratches would be too faint to notice once they healed._

_“We were playing out back,” she explained, tears still falling down her face. “And then Li tied me up and said we would play a fun game. I didn’t wanna but she made me.”_

_Little footsteps echoed into the room and Adrian turned to see a child a few years older than Nanaba, nails soaked in blood and skin. She looked guiltless, and anger blossomed in Adrian’s chest._

_“What do you think you were doing?” His voice remained level, because he couldn’t bring himself to yell._

_“We were just playing,” she explained, shrugging. She wiped her hands off on her t-shirt, staining them with blood. “Nana is the weak one! I told her if she could break free I’d stop.”_

_“Unfair!” Nanaba cried, her tiny body shivering. She held onto Adrian for dear life, terrified._

_“Come here,” he told the other child, holding a hand out. Despite her fear, Nanaba did not protest, and the girl walked forward until Adrian wrapped her in his free arm. “Li, you can’t hurt Nanaba whenever you feel like it. That’s really bad.”_

_“Are you mad at me papa?” she asked, finally seeming to understand the impact of her actions. Adrian’s heart pulled uncomfortably, and his frown deepened._

_“I am, but I will forgive you if you apologise and never do it again.”_

_Tearful now, she nodded and turned to Nanaba. Gently she placed a hand on the healed cuts, frowning. “Sorry Nana,” she said. “I was wrong.”_

_Nanaba smiled lightly and then she wiped her face. She pulled herself free from Adrian and then walked forward to give the girl a hug. Though the older girl’s embrace was painfully tight, it seemed sincere at the time._

_It was not._

Adrian sat by his kitchen in the back room of the store. His eyes, glossy thanks to his daydreaming, stared up at the ceiling. From the store there was a sudden jingle by the bells above the door, and Adrian startled back into reality. His heart shot into his throat until a familiar figure stepped into the room.

“Adrian,” she greeted, bowing her head greatly. She had to press a hand to the wall to support herself or she would fall, thanks to the injuries that plagued her.

“Goodness,” Adrian exclaimed, tired eyes wide to the brim. He rushed forward to support her himself, and helped her over to his couch. “What happened to you, Jean?”

“Did I interrupt something?”

“I was just remembering something unpleasant,” he told her, urgently holding onto her as she moved. Jean winced as she lowered herself down onto the soft seat. An arm remained clamped down on her broken ribs—all of them—and the bandages along her leg and torso were already soaked through with blood again. Adrian could clearly tell how much pain she was in, but she put a brave face on for him.

“I found them,” she told him. “The lycans.”

“Why on earth are you even here? This isn’t your city.” Adrian seated himself beside her and reached out to pull her injured leg over his lap. It was obvious that he was intent on using some of his healing, and Jean was grateful for it.

“I came here because of the rumours, Adrian,” she told him. “My kind has moved in and are causing problems with the humans. I decided to come here and see the situation.”

“It does not concern you.”

“Adrian, the organization is already here.”

Adrian froze up, hands stilling as they had been gently moving along Jean’s injured leg. “Which branch?”

“Scarlet.” She pressed a hand to her face and wiped the sweat from it. “It will become a bloodbath if we do not find a way to end this ourselves. The lycans nearly killed me yesterday, but I managed to escape.”

“If it’s only Scarlet then they’re here to gather information.”

“It won’t be long until they act.” Jean groaned in pain as Adrian added extra pressure to her wounds. His healing ability was already starting to numb the throbbing pain, and lessen the chance of ugly scars. There would still be scars, no doubt, but they would be less intense. “That girl,” Jean mentioned. “The blonde one. She works with them, but she doesn’t know. Why are you letting her go there?”

“Blonde girl?” Adrian’s head snapped up. “Krista?” Jean nodded. “You mean… good lord. Is she surrounded by them?”

Jean gave him a strange look, only breaking it to grimace at the sudden tug of pain at her ribs. “You really didn’t know?”

“I’m old,” he told her, flushed with panic. “They’ve been careful. No one has realized. I need to let Krista know as soon as possible.”

“Adrian, there’s another thing about that girl, is she…?”

Adrian sighed and directed the flow of his magic towards Jean’s broken ribs. “I have no permission to confirm that.”

“She is, then,” Jean confirmed for herself. “I smelt it on her. Do you think that’s why she’s their target?”

Adrian shrugged, for once unable to offer information. This was one thing he did not know much about, yet. “All I can do for now is inform Krista and ask her to avoid them. Ymir will go crazy.”

“Ymir?”

“Her lover.”

“Oh.”

They fell into silence, Adrian using as much healing energy as he could. Thankfully Jean had always been strong, and this would not hinder her. He had no doubt that within a day or so she would be fine. “Will you head back home? I’m sure Clare is sick with worry.”

“I will. I wanted to speak with you first. The other elders, they… they don’t want to get involved.”

“Figures,” Adrian muttered, eyes narrowing. “Bunch of cowards. This is what we do, who we are, and they are swayed by easy threats.”

Jean chuckled and slid down onto her back, she threw an arm over her eyes, sighing. The burn in her chest was steadily easing and it was becoming less of a task to breathe properly. “You can’t blame them,” Jean commented. “My kind has been a terror since the beginning.”

“Not all of you,” Adrian jumped to defend. He suddenly had a flash of once innocent eyes in his mind, of short, wispy hair and a young voice like honey. His heart clenched, and he swallowed silently. “I will have to take matters into my own hands. If I can perhaps speak with them or make a bargain I can—”

“No!” Jean shot up, ignoring the sudden searing pain. “They will not listen! Their leader is bloodthirsty and ruthless. If you meet with them they will kill you.”

Adrian’s old face creased with sadness, as did his smile. He remained quiet as he healed up as much as he could, and then he pulled Jean in for a soft hug. “I appreciate you coming out all the way here to speak with me.”

“Of course I would. You’re like a father to me.”

“Next time when you visit hopefully it’ll be under better circumstances.”

Jean sighed lightly. Adrian had always been such an optimist. Truthfully, she was grateful. Had he not been so kind, she would not have been alive long enough to be there in that moment. “Thank you,” she breathed. “If there is anything I can do before I leave, I will do it.”

Adrian pulled away from the hug to press a kiss to her forehead. It reminded him of a time when Jean had been so little, dirtied after playing in the mud with her friends, crying after scraping her knee. He had kissed her in just the same spot before soothing the pain with his palm, filled with healing energy. “Actually.” And like then, he felt a rush of affection now. Jean had grown up so quickly, and now she was taking care of herself and he was so proud.

“What is it?”

“I need you to do something very important for me.”

Jean grew serious. Thanks to the healing she could move more easily, and focus came easier now that it did not have to deal with pain. “Anything.”

Adrian smiled painfully. “Listen closely, and do as I say.”

XxX

Krista felt a tickle along her nose, and scrunched it up as she resisted the urge to sneeze. The sensation disappeared for a moment, and then it returned with intensity and Krista could no longer control her sinus. She sneezed loudly, body jerking due to the force of it, and then her bleary blue eyes cracked open and she greeted the new morning with a yawn.

“Ymir?” she asked, brows furrowing. She felt oddly warm and comfortable, and didn’t remember owning a fur blanket.

_Right here,_ Ymir spoke into her mind.

Krista finally realized that Ymir was in her cynan form, wrapped around her. The cause of her sneeze had been Ymir’s soft fur. “Why are you in that form?” Though she wasn’t complaining. It was incredibly warm and soft, and since Krista was utterly naked, she felt it all along her bare skin. It was fantastic, and Krista wouldn’t mind waking up like this every morning.

_You were shivering,_ Ymir answered. _So I changed and curled up around you. I don’t feel cold anymore but you still do._

Krista didn’t remember ever feeling cold during the night, but she sighed in content and buried her face against Ymir’s broad but furry chest. “You are so damn soft,” she sighed, rubbing her cheek against it. Ymir huffed in amusement and leaned down to lick Krista’s cheek. She felt how warm she was and quickly shifted back.

“Seems I did my job.” Ymir grinned and pulled Krista into her arms. When their bare skin touched, she paused and furrowed her brows. “Actually, I think you’re burning up. Do you feel alright?”

Now that Ymir mentioned it, Krista had started to feel ill lately. She didn’t know what it was, really, but her temperature kept rising and every so often her vision would blur. In fact, Homura had insisted the day before that she leave for home early. She did, grateful for his care. Out of all of her co-workers, Krista had to say that she loved Homura the most. He was the sweetest person she had ever met, even sweeter than Nanaba, and no doubt he would run to her aid if she ever needed it.

“I think I’m getting sick,” Krista told Ymir.

“Stay home,” Ymir urged. She hopped out of bed to quickly retrieve a cold, wet cloth. When she returned Krista was resting on top of the covers, flushed due to her fever. Ymir hadn’t noticed it before, but now she felt concerned and guilty. “Here.” She crawled over to Krista and gently wiped her down, clearing most of the sweat and cooling her down the slightest. “Feel better?”

“Mm, thank you. I don’t think I should stay home though, Homura will—”

The house phone suddenly rang, interrupting Krista’s excuses. Ymir held a hand up for Krista to hold the thought, and then she reached over to grab the phone off of the bedside table. Who would be calling so early in the morning?

“Hello?”

“Ymir, it’s Adrian.”

Ymir pressed a hand to the phone as she moved it away from her ear. “It’s Adrian,” she informed Krista, slight fear filling her features. Krista mirrored the expression and scooted closer, pressing to Ymir’s side despite how the heat made her uncomfortable. “Is everything okay?” Ymir said into the phone after pressing it back to her ear.

“Is Krista still at home with you?”

Ymir glanced at her blonde mate and smiled lightly, leaning in to kiss her forehead. “She is. I’m trying to convince her to stay home. She has a fever.”

Adrian sighed lightly, and Ymir felt the rising of panic. Why did he sound relieved? “Good. Make sure she stays home. I have something urgent I need to speak to you about.”

“What about?”

“About the threat. I don’t want to concern you yet. As long as Krista stays at home you don’t need to worry. But keep her there, okay? Don’t let her leave the house for anything. Not for _anything._ ”

Ymir swallowed at the urgent tone Adrian hadn’t used in a while. She immediately knew that this was a matter of life or death, and she wrapped Krista up in a one-arm hug, scared. “Okay, I understand. I’ll make sure she stays here with me. Can we leave the house at all?”

“No. Stay there for now. I’ll send the others over to you and meet you this afternoon.”

“At our house?”

“Yes. It’s the safest place.”

“Adrian, what’s going on?”

“Ymir, I will explain it when I arrive with the rest. Just keep Krista with you at all costs.”

“She’s the real target, isn’t she?”

“I can’t answer that yet.”

Krista felt her heart sink. She reached out to grab Ymir’s free hand and intertwined their fingers. She lifted their joined hands to press a kiss against Ymir’s freckled skin. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

Ymir shook her head. “Just make sure to answer everything later,” Ymir told him. “Don’t keep us in the dark.”

“What I have to say, Ymir, you won’t like to hear.”

“Come over now then. We’re up and I’m sure the others will rush over.”

“I can’t. There’s something I need to do first.”

He had a strange tone to his voice now, and Ymir suddenly felt her stomach tightening. She knew that telling him not to do whatever he was going to would not work. He felt responsible for them, and she had no doubt that he would do anything to protect them. She only hoped that he would be smart about it, and that he wouldn’t carelessly put himself in danger.

“Okay. What time will you be here?”

“Expect me at one. I’ll try to get there earlier. If…” he paused suddenly, and there was an odd sense of heaviness on his end of the call. “Stay safe, the both of you.”

Ymir wanted to ask what he had been about to say, but held her tongue. She said goodbye when he did, and then she returned the phone and turned around to hug Krista closely.

“What did he have to say?” Krista asked. Ymir told her, and Krista was confused about why they were not allowed to leave the house. There was no argument, because Adrian knew what he was doing. “I’ll have to phone Homura then,” she hurried, reluctantly leaving the safety of Ymir’s skin to put some clothes on. “And then clean the house and make something for everyone to eat.”

Ymir managed to find some spirit and chuckled as she watched Krista put on a pair of baby-blue rabbit boxers and a soft white shirt. “Looking as adorable as that?”

“I’ll change later,” Krista told her, adapting a false stern expression. “And are you just going to strut around naked?”

Ymir wiggled her chest. “I dunno, I think everyone would appreciate my freckles.”

Krista laughed, finally relaxing. Adrian would be fine. She had to believe that. He would never do anything reckless. So she ran a brush through her tangled, messy hair, took a few pills for her growing sore throat and aching muscles and then ordered Ymir to help her clean the house—they had nearly destroyed both the lounge and kitchen the night before. Ymir grumbled, but she smiled all the while.

XxX

Adrian made a nice cup of tea for himself before he headed up to his apartment and seated himself on his favourite couch. Just a moment ago he had whispered a spell, one that would summon whomever he wished. The trick was to have clear intent, regardless of face or identity. Adrian could literally call a stranger to him, so long as he had a clear idea of who he was calling. However it was always up to the person being called whether they answered or not, but Adrian had a suspicious feeling that this once his call would be answered.

He shook violently. Despite Jean’s warning, Adrian was prepared to face the leader of the lycans and bargain with them. He was a powerful druid and he knew spells that could benefit them, should they want it. Of course, this all depended on their reason for being here. Adrian only hoped that it was a simple, carnal reason. A reason such as that would be easy to sway.

The apartment was absolutely silent, so when there was a heavy step on the staircase leading to his home above the store, Adrian tensed. He continued sipping on his tea, not even turning his head when his door creaked open all the way.

_Nanaba, forgive me should this go wrong,_ he thought quickly, hoping in some way that the thought would be in vain.

“You came,” he finally spoke. Adrian leaned forward and gently placed the empty cup on the coffee table.

Instantly a wave of fear swept over him. Not once in his entire life had he ever felt such a menacing presence, but there was a strange familiarity to it, and once more Adrian found himself thinking back to such a long time ago when he had tried to be a father to those without.

The person—no, the _lycan_ —remained in the doorway, not crossing the threshold. Adrian hoped that they wouldn’t. He took deep, even breaths, but when he finally looked towards his visitor, fresh, raw fear swept down his spine at the lustful, burning red eyes gazing at him from the dark.

“Why don’t you show yourself?” he grinned, knowing the lycan could not step into the room. But then his blood ran cold, and despite the spells and the charms, the lycan took a deep step into the light. Not only that, the face that stared down at him woke Adrian to a flourish of memories he had buried deep in an attempt to forget. He was old, but Adrian stood quickly, barely even aware of how smoothly he had moved. “It can’t be,” he breathed, face paler than if he had been dead.

“I thought you would be a little happier to see me,” the lycan commented. “Father.”

Adrian shook his head, quaking where he stood now. “Liache,” he breathed.

“Oh, oops. I shouldn’t call you father, should I? Since you’re not.” Liache stepped further into the room and kicked the door shut behind her. When it was closed, she scrunched her nose up and looked towards a small wolf statue in the corner of the room. Frowning, she went over to it, picked it up and then crushed it in her hand. Almost immediately she stood taller, sighing. “I hate those little tricks of yours. Makes it so hard to stand.”

“Why… why are you here?”

Liache smelt the scent of tea and lifted an immaculate white brow. “Not going to offer some tea?”

“You don’t drink tea.”

Liache grinned, sharp teeth displaying behind her lips. “Ah, so you remember. And you called me, remember? I was shocked when I heard your whispers in my ear.”

Adrian’s fear came to life, and he suddenly realized that Liache had been the instigator all along. It all made sense, and he had to sit down quickly before he fell over from the shock. Liache ignored his distress—almost relished in it—and shoved her hands into her pockets. She wore a deeply black coat with inner scarlet, and it highlighted the red of her irises.

“So what do you want to speak with me about? I don’t suppose it’s to catch up on old times, right?”

“It’s been fourteen years,” Adrian whispered, eyes wide and panicked. He could not look at her, only at the grainy wood of the floor.

Liache grew still, and the red in her eyes became so dark that they were almost black. “How is Nana doing?” she asked, grin sharp and wicked. “I heard she found her mate.” Liache took a stroll around the couch, passing by Adrian purposefully to distress him further. He recoiled away from her, and she put on a mask of fake hurt as she glided over to the window overlooking the street. It was darker in that part of the room, and Liache relished the way the shadows swallowed her form. “Would be such a pity if anything were to happen to Petra Ral, wouldn’t it?”

Adrian could barely breathe through his panic. “Don’t you touch Nanaba.”

Liache laughed, but it was not an amused sound. “I will touch whoever I want.”

“What business do you have here?”

Liache shrugged though he could not see it. “Is it finally time for the villain to make a grand speech and reveal her motives? Very well.” Liache turned and stared right at Adrian just as he looked up and stared back. It seemed now that he would not turn away, even though he wanted to. “After you left me fourteen years ago I did something with my life. I collected playthings. Wolves like me.” She allowed her claws to grow out, like talons at the tips of her long fingers. Adrian could hear them grow and it frightened his fragile heart.

“Why?”

“To destroy you, why else?”

Adrian stopped breathing all together. “Liache, please, understand why I did it.”

“Oh I do. It was very logical of you, I must say. Most would have done the same. Hell, my own family did the same.”

“What your family did to you… that was unspeakable, terrible. You never deserved the horrors they put you through.”

Liache rolled her eyes. “I’m not the little girl you picked up in the woods anymore, old man.”

“I can see that.” Swallowing his fear and bile, Adrian stood upon his shaking legs and walked over to Liache. She was so very tall—much, much taller than the last time he had seen her. The darkness enhanced the glow of her eyes and they reminded him of every failure he had ever made. “I loved you so much, Liache. Just like I loved the others.” He paused in front of Liache, shivering. He knew that she could hear the pounding of his heart. “You’ve become so strong.”

Liache seemed unsure for a moment. The intensity of her eyes dimmed as she watched Adrian approach, never having expected it. “I have to give it to you, Adrian, you’ve got some balls on you.” And then she grinned and reached out to grab the man by the front of his shirt, tearing into his skin with her nails. Adrian gasped in pain and fear as Liache pulled him right off of his feet and lifted him up until their faces were level. “But don’t think for one second that your tender words mean anything to me.”

“Liache… Li…”

Anger flashed across her face and she dropped him suddenly. He landed painfully on his side, and then Liache’s heavy boot crashed down onto his ribs and he could not breathe. “You’re pathetic. Looking at you makes me sick. Reminds me of how weak I used to be. So that is why I am here. I stumbled upon you by chance. You’ve always been so good at hiding yours and that damn mutt’s scent. At first I just thought this would be a good city to rule until I got bored. But then I discovered the blood of Reiss and she led me to you.”

Adrian, through the sparks of light dancing across his eyes, managed to look up at Liache in alarm. “Leave her alone!”

“What will break you, Adrian?” Liache removed her foot and leaned down. She reached out with a clawed hand and ran a sharp nail down the side of his face, breaking skin. “You love them all, don’t you? The Reiss girl—Krista. Her mutt Ymir. Mike, Hanji, Raiden, Berik, Ilse, Rico. Even Petra. Definitely Nanaba.” Excitement flashed over Liache’s red eyes. “The first one I’ll destroy is Nanaba. She meant the most to you, always has.”

“W-why do you h-hate Nanaba so much?”

Liache shrugged. “She has always been weak. She’s a mutt. I want her dead.”

“Sh-she cared about you.”

“And where did that get her?” Liache grinned toothily and lifted her hand to lick the blood from her finger. “Are her scars still showing? I made sure to make them deep enough that your healing wouldn’t work.”

Adrian felt intense anger fill him. Pain still spiked through him, but he found the strength to move away from Liache until he was across the room. She remained crouched, watching him with an amused grin. She eventually straightened and leaned against the wall, hands back in her pockets.

“Let me tell you about my pack.” Her red eyes flicked to the side. “I found the first one in his village. It was an old lycan one, with royal bloodlines. He was subjected to watching the murder of his mother and then the rape and murder of his sister. The men of his village beat him to near death and left him in the rain. He was only fifteen. Now he has an uncontrollable hatred for men and an obsessed protectiveness over women. Well, he cares little for humans and mutts. I was seventeen when I found him.

“The second one was already a mass murderer. She was thirteen when I found her. She was abandoned at birth and taken in by a man named Siam. He trained her from a young age, to be a child mercenary. When she finally turned, he decided to use her abilities without expressing any amount of care for her mental or emotional wellbeing. He even plotted to get rid of her the moment she ceased to be useful. When she discovered that, she tore his throat out with her teeth and watched as he died. I found her in an alleyway, beaten to death by human males after she had been too weak to defend herself. I was eighteen when I found her.

“The third was compassionate and kind. She was eighteen when I found her. As a young wolf she had mated with a human, and they were deeply in love. But she was betrayed, and family members of the humans killed the girl and nearly killed her too. There were too many of them and they used her emotional state to kill her. I found her after they had buried her alive in the back garden. I was twenty-one when I found her.

“The fourth lived in the most disgusting and corrupted part of the world. She was twenty-two when I found her. Raped and used for years, she had all but given up on life until I stumbled upon her drinking herself to death in a bar. Her hatred for the world intrigued me. I was instantly drawn to her. People around her part of the country often called her two-hands, because apparently whoever fucked with her would be torn apart by both of her bare hands. I was twenty-four when I found her.

“The fifth was only sixteen when I found her. A half breed, I must admit, but she is the most powerful half-breed I have ever met. She was shunned from a young age, harassed by humans and lycans alike. Her brother, whom she loved dearly, was killed by a rabid pack of humans. She killed them all the next day, and then she was nearly ripped apart by her own family. I found her clinging to life on the porch of her family’s house. I was twenty-five when I found her.

“Lastly, my sixth pack-mate. She was part of an extremist lycan family. They brought her up to believe that they were above every other being. It was how she was brought up, and those ideals were ingrained in her. But then she met a cynan that taught her that her beliefs were wrong. She fell in love with the mutt, but then her family found out and brutality tortured them both until the cynan could not handle it and died. They put a tattoo on her face to forever remind her of the cynan she had loved and ultimately doomed, and then they abandoned her. I found her chained up in a field when I was twenty-six.

“All these wolves, broken and destroyed by life, were saved by me. I promised them their vengeance on the world if they pledged absolute loyalty to me.”

“Why are you telling this to me?” Adrian asked.

“You are a soft man,” Liache laughed. “Hearing this must be hurting you right now, right? You’re asking yourself how people can do that to innocent kids. We were all just kids when life fucked us up. But now we’re older, we know better, and we’re fucking life up in return.”

“Liache, it doesn’t have to be like this.”

“Shut up, old man.” Liache stepped away from the wall and crossed to room to the man on the floor. “I came here to hurt you. To remind you. I know my face haunts you. You had nightmares about me, didn’t you? Nightmares of how you left in the middle of the night with Nanaba, leaving me to an empty home and empty promises.”

“You were torturing Nanaba when I wasn’t around!” Adrian exclaimed. “She never deserved any of the horrors you inflicted on her!”

“If she had been stronger, she would not have those scars today.” Liache showed absolutely no remorse. In fact, she furrowed her brows in concern. “Just like how I wouldn’t have my scars if I had been stronger all those years ago.”

“Liache, you were just a baby.”

“And babies are weak. Your mutts are weak. You are weak. The strong always step on the weak. It’s the law of nature.”

“What do you want? What are you really here for?”

Liache pulled Adrian onto his feet and dusted his shirt off. “I am here for one simple reason.” Sighing, she took a single step back and then rolled her shoulders. “I have never forgiven you for what you did to me. I want revenge. Everything I’ve built has been to rip apart your life.”

“Did you come here to kill me then?” Adrian’s shoulders relaxed. If Liache simply did away with him, then at least Nanaba and the rest would be okay. But Liache began to laugh, deeply and menacingly and she even bent over to clutch at her stomach. It suddenly reminded him of when she had been a teenager in his care, struggling with her violent desires and with her understanding of wrong and right. Adrian had failed her, and the guilt had never left him.

“Kill you?” Liache finally recovered and straightened. “That would be too easy. It wouldn’t satisfy me at all.”

Cold washed over Adrian, and suddenly he knew.

“I’m here to destroy you. I will tear into everything you love until you are the only one standing. And then, I will leave you be. I will leave you with the graves of your children and their lovers.”

Adrian opened his mouth to beg her, to say anything, but a strangled scream lodged into his throat as Liache suddenly sliced into his stomach with sharp claws. When he dropped she kicked him where she had cut him, and then she spat on the ground beside him and made for the door, licking the blood dripping from her hand and arm.

“I’m slowly going to hurt and kill the people around you. And when you finally wake, you’ll be the only one left.” She laughed, eyes glowing in the darkness. Adrian had a full view of her large back as she headed to the door and slipped through it. She did not even look back. Pain and blood washed over him, spilling onto the floor and spreading out around him.

_You didn’t come here to kill me?_ he thought, tears pouring from his face. _You could have fooled me._

XxX

Nanaba didn’t remember the last time she had been so happy. Even though she knew it was wrong and even though guilt filled her occasionally, she was momentarily suspended in an existence that consisted of nothing but happiness and love. She and Petra had been enjoying their sudden vacation, getting to know each other more in every way possible. Nanaba had never felt like this before—never this loved and understood. She wished that everyone else could be with her, but they were all still giving it their all to train.

Maeve was off with her family at her residence on the resort. Nanaba hadn’t seen her since they had arrived. The blonde was actually down by the bar, nursing a soft drink. Petra would wake soon, and Nanaba hadn’t wanted to wake her, so just as the sun lifted Nanaba had let herself out and had gone for her morning run. She had a path along the resort that she had always used when visiting and it applied even now. After her run she discovered that Petra was still asleep, and decided to head out to get breakfast for them. She had left a small note explaining her absence and then went over to the restaurant to place an order. Now she was waiting for it, sitting solitarily at the bar—though one wouldn’t call her lonely at first glance.

Nanaba didn’t expect anyone else to enter the bar, though it was open. So she was surprised when she felt another presence enter behind her. When she turned to see who it was, she became confused. At first she did not want to say anything, but then the woman locked eyes with her and walked over to the bar, seating herself right beside the blonde.

“Um, aren’t you Krista’s—?”

“Nanaba,” the woman interrupted. “You need to return to your city now.”

Nanaba straightened in her seat. She opened her mouth to ask why, but then the woman placed an envelope on the bar counter with a red seal on it. It was a mark that she knew, and the blood drained from her face.

“You’re a hunter?!”

The woman nodded, grey eyes never leaving Nanaba’s face. “We are getting involved as of today. Nanaba, Petra was never the real target. We believe that Adrian is.”

“H-how do you know about all of this?”

“As you know, I’ve been close with Krista. We were all tasked with watching her, due to her bloodline.”

“Bloodline?”

The woman frowned, impatient. “The letter will explain it all. Krista is in serious danger. Adrian has been attacked. I advise that you and your mate head home within the hour. Adrian might not make it through the day.”

Nanaba felt like a bucket of ice had suddenly been thrown over her. Confusion, fear and panic filled her chest and before she could even ask more questions for confirmation, her phone rang. She almost knew who it was before she even answered it, and Nanaba’s hand shook as she lifted her phone to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Nanaba, it’s Mike.” His voice sounded breathy, as if he had been running, as if he was panicked. “Something happened.” Nanaba could not breathe. Suddenly she stopped moving. “Nanaba. It’s Adrian… he went out on his own and, and… and one of them tore his abdomen apart. He’s in surgery right now. The doctors say he won’t make it. Nanaba, it’s really bad. We need you.”

Nanaba felt her heart constrict. _No,_ she thought. _No this isn’t happening._ Mike continued to talk, to explain that Adrian had wanted to tell them something important and that he had asked them all to gather at Ymir and Krista’s home.

“Nanaba?”

_No, this isn’t happening. I’m having a nightmare._

“Nanaba, say something!”

The blonde snapped her head up and grabbed the letter. She looked around for the woman that had given it, the person that was part of the hunters, part of the organization. She was nowhere to be found, but Nanaba had met her before, and is if she was still a frightened pup, Nanaba dropped her phone and called out for her.

“M-Mikasa?”

 


	15. Chapter 15

Krista wouldn’t deny the fact that she really enjoyed their living room being filled with so many weredogs. Most of them had already dropped by, greeting her with long, tight hugs because she was just so small compared to everyone else. Ymir even seemed amused as Berik and Raiden took turns twirling Krista around like a rag doll until she head-butted them hard enough that they eventually put her down. The duo had arrived there together on Berik’s bike, and Raiden wouldn’t shut up about how cool it was and how much she missed Nanaba. Mentioning the blonde’s name put a strange damper on the mood, so Krista had hurried to bring out snacks and drinks, and the mood quickly rose again. Unfortunately time was ticking by and some hadn’t made it yet.

“I wonder where Adrian is,” Krista commented lightly. She was sitting in between Rico and Hanji, the latter eating loudly and the former glaring over Krista’s head.

“He’s probably taking his time,” Rico suggested. She saw Hanji shoot her a look and rolled her eyes. “Hanji, stop eating like an animal.”

Hanji laughed loudly and placed her now empty plate on the table. “Oh, but I am!” she exclaimed. “Technically, we all are!”

Ilse came over to restock her plate with mini sandwiches and chicken pies. “But only you act like it,” the brunette told Hanji.

Hanji pouted at her, more deeply when Ilse laughed and hurried back to her seat beside the dynamic duo, with Berik telling an animated story of one of his first hunts, and Raiden trying her best to tell a story that outdid his.

Mike entered the lounge then, his face drawn in worry. The massive man made his way over to Krista and gently requested her attention. “Krista,” he said. “I’ve been calling Adrian but he isn’t answering. I want to head over to his house and see if he’s okay.”

Krista frowned in worry. “Is something wrong?”

“No. I just want to be sure. Adrian can be late sometimes, since he’s old.”

“Alright, just be safe! Let me know if anything happens.”

Mike smiled as charmingly as he could and left the house quickly. Ymir, who had been idly watching from the side, frowned deeply at the man’s hurry. She went over to Krista and forced herself between the blonde and Hanji.

“Hey!” Hanji complained. “You aren’t exactly small, you know!”

Ymir wrapped an arm around Hanji and laughed. “And neither are you! Look at all that food you ate. We’ll have to roll you out of here at this rate.”

Hanji rolled her eyes. “It is scientifically impossible for me to consume that much food in one sitting. Plus it would all need to be absorbed before I ever gained enough fat to be that large! It would take years.”

Krista giggled. “Ignore her, Hanji,” Krista told her. “She just enjoys giving you grief.”

Hanji nodded at Krista, glad for her input, and smartly decided to seek out a new seat. It didn’t take long for Rico to do the same, suspiciously following after Hanji even when the brunette wondered out of the room.

“So…” Krista began, leaning her head against Ymir’s shoulder and smiling.

“I wonder what this is all about.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing too bad. Adrian would have been here by now if it was.”

Ymir relaxed and wrapped Krista up in her arms. “Yeah, but he sounded really serious on the phone.”

“Doesn’t he always?” Krista felt a familiar vibration in her pocket and quickly pulled her phone out. It was a phone call, and she grinned widely at the caller I.D that blinked up at her. “Oh, it’s Homura! I wonder why he’s calling,” Krista told Ymir. She quickly straightened and then answered the call. “Hello?”

“Krista! So glad that you answered. Look, I know that you asked for the day off, but we need you in urgently, just for a few minutes.”

“Isn’t it something I can do at home?”

Homura sighed on his end. “It’s more of a meeting kind of thing. Do you think you could come? Missing it would be a really bad idea.”

Ymir poked Krista’s side. “Adrian said not to let you go out,” she reminded.

Krista placed her hand over the phone’s speaker and frowned. “I don’t think I can say no though.”

“I’ll come with.”

“Really? You’ve never been there before. I’d actually love to introduce you to everyone!” She grinned happily and returned the phone to her ear.

“Was that Ymir?” Homura asked playfully, no doubt grinning and wiggling his eyebrows like Krista knew he could.

“Yes! Would it be okay if she came with me? If it’s just for a few minutes then Ymir can just sit at my desk and wait.”

Homura paused for a long moment, possibly deliberating, and the hesitation made Krista worry. But eventually he chuckled and answered. “Of course. You’ve said so much about her. It’s time that we finally meet.”

Krista missed the edge in his voice, and confirmed that they would leave in the next few minutes. She quickly hung up and announced the latest development to her guests, and asked them to excuse her and Ymir’s absence. She gave command over to Rico, since she seemed the most responsible of all those there, and then she and Ymir hurried over to her car.

They had no idea what Mike had just discovered.

XxX

Ymir had always been slightly jealous of Krista’s co-workers, but never enough to make a fuss about it. On a daily basis pleasant emotions would fill her from Krista, and she knew simply from that—and without Krista having to tell her—that she loved the people that she worked with, aside from the boss. Most of the time Ymir felt an odd sensation in the pit of her stomach whenever images of the boss passed into her mind from Krista. She was never really able to understand it, so she simply shrugged it off and told herself that it was simply her protective side being a little too intense. Ymir would wish that she had been more protective.

The building was as plain as Ymir had expected with nothing fantastic on the outside of it. One wouldn’t even know what the building contained for the lack of a logo or any sort of advertisement. Luckily the elevator was clean, but as the doors wooshed closed and Ymir leaned against the glass lining the metal box, her nose began to burn. A sudden overwhelming scent took her, and Ymir quickly pressed a hand to her face, fingers pinching her nose shut.

“Ymir?” Krista asked. “What’s wrong?”

Ymir couldn’t fathom why her heart was suddenly pounding so hard. She felt dizzy, like she would sway at any moment and collapse. But she glanced up quickly and caught her reflection—she was pale.

The doors slid open and Krista gently pulled her from the elevator. Ymir finally dropped her hand, but her nose twitched. The scent grew even stronger, making it difficult for Ymir to think. Her skin began to itch and it felt like her stomach was attempting to eat itself. It wasn’t even an entirely displeasing feeling. Ymir felt like she had just taken a drug.

“Krista?” From around the corner Homura came into view, and he closed his eyes as he smiled brightly. His arms were already open and welcoming, expecting Krista to run up to him and embrace him, like she did whenever he allowed it. But Krista couldn’t. The blonde cried out in pain and looked to her shoulder, realizing that Ymir had just clamped a large, clawed hand down on her, and Ymir’s grip was only tightening. “And this must be Ymir,” Homura said, bowing his head. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Ymir couldn’t speak. A heavy growl ripped from her teeth and Krista jumped to cover her ears. She couldn’t understand what was happening, but then Ymir was pulling her roughly, moving the blonde behind her. Before Krista could even demand to know what was happening Ymir suddenly shifted, clothes shredding and tearing with a loud, audible _rip_.

“Ymir?”

When Krista caught sight of Homura, he looked surprised. He backed away quickly, all the way into the office until his back hit an empty desk. “Whoa,” he said, hands out in front of him, palms facing forward.

“Ymir, what are you doing?” Krista ran around Ymir’s large, trembling body, shielding Homura with her own. “Stop it!”

Ymir could barely look Krista in the face. All she could see was Homura, all she could smell was _him_ and the _others_ , close but somewhere else.

 _Lycan,_ Ymir growled loudly, so loudly that Krista felt it like a slap in the face. She squeezed her eyes shut, heart hammering. Intense emotions filled her from Ymir—aggression, intense anger and fear, and loathing. Krista couldn’t fathom it, not until she felt arms wrap around her chest and Homura’s familiar scent surrounded her.

“Sssh,” Homura cooed softly, lifting a hand to press a finger to his lips. Krista looked up to ask him why, but realized that he was speaking to Ymir, not her. “It would be a shame if she lost her pretty little head, wouldn’t it?”

Krista felt her heart drop. “H-Homura?”

Ymir began to pace, hears standing up on almost every inch of her body. She had her lips curled back viciously and the way Homura held Krista drove her insane.

“Homura?”

Suddenly a hand wound around her throat and Krista felt her entire body lift from the floor. Her back hit the wall and all the wind rushed from her lungs. When she opened her eyes Homura stared at her, but his eyes were unnatural, his muscles already bulging as they threatened to shift. His teeth were out, too, and Krista saw them as Homura grinned at her. Ymir made to attack, but another figure suddenly joined the fray, and Ymir whimpered in fear. It was almost like the brunette no longer had any control. The scents around her were overwhelming, painfully stimulating. The only thing preventing her from running was the fact that Homura was choking Krista.

“Don’t kill her just yet,” Liache ordered, red eyes blazing.

Homura turned sharply to her. “Why not? I’m done being a fucking charmer.”

Liache shrugged. “I want to play with the mutt first.”

“I think you mean we will,” Revy said. She and the others all stepped out from Liache’s office, and the expressions on their faces were nothing but aggressive. Alphard seemed as cold faced as usual though, but the others were all trembling with excitement.

“I am so ready to end this stupid game,” Riza exclaimed, cracking her knuckles loudly.

“It has been rather embarrassing,” Rui agreed, folding her arms over her chest.

Krista would have stopped breathing even if Homura hadn’t been holding onto her. But the man acquiesced, and with a heavy sigh he threw Krista to the side and shoved his hands into his pockets. He then leaned against the same wall Krista had been pressed against.

“Come here,” Liache ordered, her arm outstretched towards Homura. The man suddenly looked like a puppy as he obeyed, and then he whimpered when Liache roughly grabbed his face and pulled him in for a violent kiss. “Now be a good toy and do as I say.” She let him go, satisfied that he would be more content after what she had given him. And he was—Homura had a rich flush across his pale flesh, and he licked his lips to remember the taste.

“H-Homura?” Krista uttered. She had managed to crawl onto her knees and Ymir was directly above her, shaking and growling the entire time. “Wh-why?”

“’Why’?” he asked, eyes narrowing. “Did you really think I cared about you? I only ever said what I did because I was told to. It’s like that for everyone. We aren’t even a real company.”

Liache chuckled. “Adrian was just as shocked,” she told them. “I wonder if he’s been found in time?”

Krista and Ymir both froze, ice filling their veins. Suddenly Ymir realized why Adrian hadn’t wanted Krista to leave the house. He had probably known about this. Ymir felt anger blaze in her chest. _Why the fuck didn’t he let me know?_

Krista’s head was still swimming. None of this was making sense. Her lungs seized up since she had forgotten to breathe, and she gasped loudly for air. Ymir pressed firmly into her, teeth still bared in warning. The brunette knew that only two things would happen. One, they would be killed. Two, they would simply be attacked and left for dead. There was no way for them to escape, and with so many enemies in one room, no way to successfully fight back. But Ymir intended to. All her training came rushing back to her, and her muscles remembered all the hard work put into learning how to kill a wolf. Now would be her time to put her training to use, and she hoped that she could at least buy Krista enough time to run.

 _Krista,_ Ymir thought, growling still. _They haven’t changed yet. They’re too busy enjoying their smugness. I’m going to attack the white haired dick-face, and when I do, I want you to run to the elevator. I’ll keep them for as long as I can._ She suddenly shifted back into her human form and took Krista’s face into her hands. _Promise me,_ she still mentally thought, _that you’ll run and warn the others._

Krista’s eyes filled with tears, brimming and eventually spilling down her cheeks. Her own naivety had caused this, and even with her scattered thoughts she could recognize the danger. But she was almost too shocked to react, barely even able to blink. Ymir’s burning eyes were the only things anchoring her, and so Krista found it in her to nod once. Before Ymir even leaned forward Krista was already pressing their lips together, and then their moment was over and Ymir shifted again.

“Disgusting,” Liache spat, face contorting in displeasure.

 _Say that again when I’ve got your face between my teeth,_ Ymir projected to them. The lycans all automatically reacted to their leader being threatened, and teeth and claws all came rushing out with steam. Ymir took that as her chance, and she shot forward in a blur of speed, claws out and ready. But then Homura suddenly disappeared, so quick that she hadn’t even seen him. When Ymir turned her head mid-jump, she saw Homura rush to Krista just as the blonde prepared to run towards the elevator. A strangled cry travelled up her throat, but it died out before anything could be done with it when a hand suddenly slammed against the side of her face. She went hurtling into the wall, and the force was so great that the wall collapsed on top of her.

“Ymir!” Krista screamed, struggling in Homura’s arms. The man seemed unemotional now, but there was an unmistakable sort of glee in his eyes.

“Hold her,” Liache ordered. “Make her watch.” Homura nodded once and Krista winced as her ribs nearly crushed due to Homura’s strong arm pressing so firmly into her chest.

“No!” Krista screamed.

This time Liache joined in, and she picked Ymir up from the rubble. With a great heave she tossed Ymir across the room like a toy doll, and all the cynan could do was brace for the impact. All the training she had done hadn’t accurately prepared her for this moment. None of them had even changed yet and she was already getting her ass kicked.

“Alphard, force her change,” Liache ordered.

Alphard rolled her eyes as if she had been told this order many times already in advance, and obediently walked over to Ymir’s crumbled form. She wasted no time and jabbed too fingers into a specific spot just at the base of Ymir’s spine. The cynan howled in pain and thrashed as her body changed back. She was unable to stop it, and then she lay there in her human form, naked and bruised already. Alphard seemed disinterested so she returned to her earlier spot, merely watching. Kage and Revy took the moment to step forward, and Liache didn’t stop them. But they waited, telling Ymir to get up, threatening to hurt Krista if she didn’t.

Ymir was pretty sure that all of her ribs had shattered, and the pain was searing. The adrenalin in her system prevented her wounds from healing as fast as they should, or at all. But she stood unsteadily, trying to shift her hands at least. With claws then maybe she could defend herself a little. But her body wouldn’t cooperate. Krista was watching, and in the second that Revy rushed forward, Ymir sent Krista an apologetic look.

 _I love you,_ she mouthed, eyes filling with sorrow. Krista began to struggle, but it all happened in slow motion for Ymir. She turned in time to see the claws aimed at her face and dodged by some miracle, but that had been the plan, and she walked right into Kage from behind. The white haired woman clawed down her back, and Ymir released a strangled scream of pain. Revy then punched her right in the stomach, and when she bent forward, Kage kicked her roughly and she fell. Ymir desperately tried to crawl away, reaching out for Krista as the blonde screamed for her, but then both Revy and Kage lifted her up and held firmly onto her arms. Her front was open, and Rui walked forward to swing a good few punches at Ymir’s face. The brunette tried not to make a noise, tried to make it less painful for Krista, but then they started to claw at her skin, nails slicing through her flesh from every angle. Blood soaked her feet and Ymir slumped forward when they were done, unconscious.

She hadn’t even landed one hit in retaliation.

“Ymir!” Krista screamed, tears washing down her face. She clawed at Homura’s hands, finding strength she did not know that she even had. Suddenly her skin began to burn and itch, and Krista felt so much despair and rage that she allowed the feeling to wash over her. With a great, inhuman growl, she broke free from Homura’s grasp, long, sharp claws slicing into his skin. He did not cry out in pain, but he looked up in alarm as Krista made her way to Ymir, already unrecognizable. “Ymir!”

“Grab her!” Liache shouted.

Homura did so. He tripped Krista with a long sweep of his leg, and then he quickly got on top of her. With a great amount of effort he pinned her arms above her head, and then he flinched as Krista released a growl so loud his eardrums nearly bled. Her eyes were no longer blue, they were black, and even Homura felt uncertain by it.

“What is this?” Homura demanded, looking to Liache.

“She’s a Reiss,” Liache explained, as if he should have known it already. “Didn’t you smell it?”

“But… but the Reiss bloodline was destroyed in the old wars.”

“So they would have us believe.” Liache laughed in genuine amusement. “I would have asked her to join me, but she mated with a mutt.”

Krista struggled and screamed, giving Homura a genuine struggle. He had never felt so much strength from such a small body before.

“What are we going to do with her?”

Liache went still, red eyes flicking over the room. Revy, Kage and Rui were all covered in Ymir’s blood, and they patiently waited for Liache to give them their next order. But she didn’t, and she waved Homura away. He seemed uncertain, but he quickly listened when Liache grew angry at his delay. He had to dodge quickly when he released Krista’s arms, because she swung large, clawed hands at his face and he just barely missed having them slice into his skin.

Liache, however, was stronger. “We kill her,” she said simply. “I’m sure her death will meet my ends.” Krista couldn’t even hear them, didn’t see them. She went rabid, skin burning and breaking. It was so painful that she barely even noticed when Liache forced her to her feet and then sliced across her abdomen and face. When she dropped to her feet, she looked down and saw the blood, the open, weeping wound.

“What do we do after this?” Homura asked.

Liache watched in fascination as Krista collapsed and dark blood spread around her. “We retreat,” she answered. “And then we wait, and we watch.”

Krista’s senses returned to her slowly. She watched as Liache and the others cleaned the blood from their bodies, changed their clothes and then left. Homura didn’t even glance her way again, and when they were gone Krista felt her tears mingle with the blood spilling from her mouth. With the last of her strength she pulled herself to Ymir, hoping with all her might that her mate was still alive.

Krista curled up against Ymir’s chest, struggling to throw one of Ymir’s long arms around her. When she managed it, she tucked her head underneath Ymir’s chin and cried softly as she bled out. All feeling left her, and even as Ymir’s breaths calmed her down, her tears remained. It didn’t take long for Krista to drop into unconsciousness, and she didn’t notice the figure that hurried into the room and forced her fragile, bloody form from Ymir’s warm body, and not even as she was carried from the building and into a waiting car.

XxX

It hurt all over. Everywhere on her body it ached, and when Ymir finally woke, eyelids fluttering, she grunted and attempted to move. But movement only caused more pain, and warm hands quickly pressed to her naked chest to push her back down onto the soft surface beneath her.

“Don’t try to move,” a voice said gently. “You’re still too injured.”

Ymir tried to speak but her mouth hurt too much. It took great effort to eventually open her eyes, and when she finally did, only an unfamiliar, wooden ceiling greeted her. She still could not put a face to the voice, though she knew that it was familiar. Desperately she reached out with her mind, suddenly confused and afraid.

_What happened?_

Beside her there was a sigh, and then the creak of a chair. A face appeared above her and Ymir relaxed immediately upon seeing that it was merely Nanaba. But that relaxation soon turned to renewed tension, because Nanaba looked stricken and dishevelled, like she had either slept in the small chair beside the bed all night, or she had not slept at all. Ymir’s panic began to rise once more.

“I rushed back the moment Mike called me,” Nanaba began. She saw Ymir begin to panic and pressed a hand firmly against her chest, just above her sternum where it would not hurt. “He found Adrian bleeding and injured in his home, and rushed him to the hospital. He’s okay, but in a coma. We’ve moved him over to the cabin so that we can all watch him here.”

_Here? Am I at the cabin too?_

“You are. Since you aren’t exactly human, we couldn’t rush you to the nearest hospital. The others found you an hour after they found Adrian, and they rushed you back here quickly. Luckily I decided to run back and I made it here just in time to use some of Adrian’s spells and close the worst of the wounds.”

Ymir watched Nanaba’s lips as they moved, momentarily soothed by the distraction. Her mind was racing and certain parts of her memory were fuzzy. While her chest constricted with panic and fear, she did not remember why. Nothing in her memories explained what had happened or why she was there, but she knew that in moments Nanaba would enlighten her, and nothing about the situation told her that it was good news.

_Why am I here?_

“You don’t remember?” Nanaba scooted a little closer and reached out for Ymir’s hand. She noticed it trembling even when Ymir didn’t, and gripped it firmly in her own, offering warmth and comfort—Ymir’s skin was startlingly cold.

“After Mike went to look for Adrian, you and Krista left for her office. She was called in. But her co-workers are lycans, and they attacked you when you got there.”

Ymir felt the sudden memory of the elevator come back to her, of the intense scent washing through her sinus, burning the inside of her skull. She sneezed instinctively, even though the scent was long gone and it was only a memory. The movement caused her to jerk, and white hot pain washed down her body. Ymir wheezed, unable to breathe for a good few moments. Nanaba encouraged her softly, whispering words of comfort until the redness from Ymir’s face faded and she no longer gasped for breath.

 _Where is Krista? Why isn’t she here? What happened to her? Is she okay?_ Even mentally, Ymir sounded panicked.

Nanaba’s eyes dropped down to Ymir’s freckled hand in her own. “We can’t say for sure, Ymir, so don’t panic just yet. But Krista wasn’t there when we found you. Her blood was all over you, and a lot of it, too. She must have crawled over to you and hoped for some comfort. But she wasn’t there, and we tried to run through the city to find her scent, but it was gone.”

Ymir’s every muscle seized and she inhaled sharply. Her teeth clenched together even as it sent pain through her jaw, which was no doubt broken.

_Did they take her?_

“They didn’t leave a note. Adrian hasn’t come out of his coma, so whatever he knows will stay with him until he wakes up. Ymir, I promise you that we looked in every available place. She’s gone. But we won’t give up. Every morning we send a small team out, and we’ve been expanding the search area to three cities in each direction.”

 _Each morning?_ Ymir asked. _How long have I been out?_

“A week.”

Ymir inhaled again, the information almost crushing her already fragile state. She forced herself to listen, to stay awake and take it. Despair threatened to overtake her but for now she held it at bay, desperate for Nanaba to tell her everything before she allowed herself to feel the pain.

_Do you think she’s alive?_

“I’d like to think so, but she lost so much blood. Ymir, when you’re better we want you to use your connection. I think we can find her that way. If you send out a message, maybe she’ll hear it and respond. Maybe you can simply locate her by sensing where she is.”

 _I’ll try._ Ymir shifted, suddenly aware of the numbness in her lower back. In fact, she could barely feel her legs at all, and it sent even more panic through her. Her eyes widened as she stared up at the ceiling, counting in her head to stop from panicking too badly. At least Nanaba was there, gripping firmly onto her hand, grounding her. _What are my injuries?_ Cynans healed quickly. By those standards Ymir knew that she should not still be bed ridden and injured.

At that Nanaba finally found some life. “They hurt you pretty bad, but luckily it was all just flesh wounds and broken bones. They did shatter your ribs and break your leg. You also had a dislocated shoulder, which we took care off.”

_I can’t feel my legs._

“One of them must have used a secret technique on you. It isn’t really commonly known, but certain pressure points on our body can block our ability to shift either to our cynan form or back. It takes a hard toll on your body. You’ll regain feeling again in some time, but it’ll take longer until you can shift properly again.”

Ymir gritted her teeth. She remembered then, how Alphard had been ordered to force her change. She hadn’t even been able to do anything as those fingers jabbed into her muscles. It had been so painful. Her mind had been swimming so badly that she had been absolutely no match for experienced, wicked wolves.

 _They scratched me,_ Ymir told her. _A lot. What do the scars look like?_

“At least I can tell you that all the slash wounds healed up nicely. The last one closed yesterday. As for scarring, it looks pretty bad, but with healing sessions and with Adrian’s special technique, we can reduce the ones on your face and neck. The larger ones on your back, stomach and legs will be difficult. There’s nothing we can really do about those.” Ymir listened intently, and then she tensed as Nanaba released her hand. “Do you want to see for yourself?”

Panic filled Ymir again, and she moved her hand away from Nanaba, pressing it to her chest. She dropped her head to the side and shut her eyes tightly.

“Okay, I understand. By the way, your jaw was badly broken. It should finish healing any day now. I’ve been using Adrian’s healing spells, but I don’t know how well I’m doing them.”

“Go back to sleep.” Nanaba stood and picked up a small syringe from the bedside table. Ymir didn’t watch her as she jabbed it into the nearby IV that was connected to Ymir’s arm, and then she dropped the empty syringe and returned to her uncomfortable seat. “You need as much rest as you can get. This must have been a lot to process.”

Ymir didn’t respond. She couldn’t even if she had wanted to. A burning, painful heat filled her chest, setting her heart on fire, and all Ymir could think about was tasting the blood of those that had hurt her, had hurt her mate. Even Nanaba’s comforting presence didn’t sooth her anymore. She slowly remembered every memory, every attack and every word—remembered their faces, their names and voices. And just as she began to imagine their deaths, the medicine Nanaba had given her kicked in, and she dropped off quickly to sleep.

When Ymir woke again, she was relieved to discover that her room was vacant save for herself. It was dark and quiet, and no doubt everyone else was asleep or on watch. Ymir laid there for a long while, thinking about Krista and becoming sick with worry and anger. Eventually it became too much, and Ymir couldn’t lay idle any longer. She ripped the IV from her skin, wincing at the sting of it, and willed herself to get out of bed. Thankfully she could feel more from her legs now, as Nanaba had promised, but she wasn’t sure if she could even walk. But she tried anyway, pulling herself up with a hand clamped down around the back of Nanaba’s seat, and then she pushed off from it, stumbled and fell. The impact was painful and loud, and Ymir wheezed as the breath left her. She inhaled deeply and counted in her head until the pain receded, and then she tried again.

This time she could not even call forth the strength to climb to her knees, so she simply decided to stick to crawling, and she painfully made her way across the room. There was a sliding door in the room she was in, and it was already slightly open to allow cool air through. Ymir made it to the door after multiple attempts to stand, failing to do so, and simply grunted as she pulled her body forward. By the door she pulled herself up, this time finally succeeding. But it was painful and she swayed from it, dizzy. All the blood rushed to her head and if Ymir hadn’t gripped so tightly onto the handle of the sliding door then she really would have fallen over again, and that would have surely been more painful a second time.

Ymir wobbled out of the room. It was just after midnight. She could tell because she looked up at the sky and the moon was there, glowing and brilliant. Many times in the past she had simply lounged around and watched the moon, fascinated and oddly rejuvenated by it. This time she wasn’t. The pain and exhaustion was all too real, but she ignored it and grabbed onto the nearest railing of the small porch leading out from the sliding door. There were a few steps—three of them—and Ymir could only step down one before she lost her balance and fell again. This time she yelled in pain and curled up, breathing heavily and cursing every god she could think of.

 _Fuck,_ she thought. _Fuck. FUCK. Can’t this body just fucking work? What is the use of being some goddamn supernatural being if it can’t even benefit me when I need it?_

Gritting her teeth, fighting through the pain, Ymir pushed herself onto her feet again. She then began to call on her cynan self, trying with everything inside of her to bring out the change. It hurt more than anything she had felt, almost as much as Krista’s absence. She screamed, the sound morphing from a fragile human sound to that of an enraged animal. But she swallowed it down and tried again, this time stumbling forward and into the forest as she did. Maybe if she shifted, maybe if she ran then she could heal faster. If she healed faster then she could find Krista herself and bring the little blonde home.

Ymir focused on putting one foot in front of the other at the same time as she focused on shifting her muscles and skin. But oh did it hurt, and oh did she howl into the night. Her eyes eventually did change, glowing a bright and brilliant gold. Slowly she felt the change happen, not complete and barely anything at all. Her limbs burned like they always did when she shifted, but this time it was unbearable. As her fur began to cover her skin and Ymir’s bones slowly cracked to form new shapes, she collapsed against a tree, panting. It took everything simply to remain so half changed, but she pushed on, tears leaking down her face from the force of the pain itself. Her claws grew out then, some shorter than the others, struggling to fully break free. She buried them in the damp soil at her bare knees and then she tilted her head back and howled—in pain, in agony. Every fear she had ever worried over were a reality now, and not even the pain in her body could compare. Ymir did not simply howl because her body hurt, she howled because her heart felt like it was bleeding, and her soul wept. For a long while, as she howled and tried to change every time it reverted back, she feared the absolute worst.

That Krista was dead, and nothing could bring her back.

Eventually the others found her. Nanaba was the first, pulling Ymir away from the tree, but Ymir angrily pulled away.

“No!” Ymir exclaimed, glad to finally be able to speak. “Leave me alone!”

“You can’t shift right now! Your body is too injured!” Nanaba tried again by wrapping a hand around Ymir’s upper arm, but the brunette was stubborn and she moved away from the touch. She seemed so intensely tired already but Ymir got onto her feet again and wobbled away. “Ymir!”

“Piss off!” Ymir yelled. Tears burnt her eyes and she clenched her jaws tightly. The pain had already started to blur into something that resembled numbness. Ymir wanted to run, but when she tried she collapsed back onto her knees, and dug her nails into the soil again. “Fuck!” she yelled, panting. “ **FUCK.** ”

“Ymir…”

“I couldn’t save her!” Ymir lifted her arm and punched the ground. There was an audible crack as her fingers broke, but she didn’t feel it or she was simply so filled with pain that it made no difference. “I was there but I couldn’t protect her! What the fuck have I been doing all this time?”

“Ymir, this isn’t your fault. You didn’t know that—”

“I should have!” Ymir punched the ground again and then bent her head back to howl in anguish. “I should have followed my instincts.”

She punched the ground again with a heavy, morbid thud.

“Should have demanded to meet her co-workers.”

“Should have fucking never let her leave on her own!”

“What is the point of me having all this power if I couldn’t even protect Krista?”

**_Thud_ ** _._

“Why?”

“Why!?”

She then collapsed forward, face in the mud, but she didn’t even care. Nanaba thought it too painful to watch. She held her own angered tears back and found the strength to pull Ymir into her arms.

“We’ll never know why,” she said quietly. Ymir looked lost, defeated. She looked pained and exhausted. “But all we can do is heal ourselves and prepare for our revenge.” She used her cynan strength and lifted Ymir’s broken body into her arms.

“Revenge?” Ymir asked, forehead pressed to Nanaba’s chest. She still couldn’t feel the pain from her broken hand, but she could smell the blood and feel it as it pooled on her naked skin.

“Revenge,” Nanaba confirmed. In the darkness, as she passed by the others that had kept a respectful distance, she seemed frightening. Her eyes swirled with such a dark and passionate colour that they almost didn’t seem blue anymore, but white. If nothing else was visible, her eyes were. Nanaba carried Ymir all the way back to her room, where she gently put her back down on the bed, and then she went to the task of wiping Ymir’s body down and re-bandaging her wounds, old and new.

“That was really stupid of you,” Nanaba told her after a long stretch of silence. Ymir had simply been staring at the wall. “What did you think you could accomplish? Your body doesn’t follow your heart. It needs to heal before you can run around like a maniac.”

Petra cautiously entered the room with a fresh bowl of warm water and a cloth. Behind her Raiden followed, and the redhead had a tray of food that Nanaba desperately needed.

“Rico said that you asked for this,” Petra said softly. She put the bowl down on the bedside table and hesitated by Nanaba’s side. The blonde sent her a soft, lingering look, but she knew not to initiate any physical affection, and merely left quickly from where she had entered. They all had to be careful, because Ymir would surely be in a dangerous and fragile state, and they did not want to make it worse for her.

“How is she?” Raiden asked. She had heard the howls and screaming from earlier, and heard from Berik how Ymir had smashed her hand in. She winced when she looked at the bandaged limb and saw the blood soaking through, but it was even more alarming that Ymir barely seemed to notice.

“In terrible condition,” Nanaba answered. She took the new cloth and used it to wipe the sweat from Ymir’s face. She expected the brunette to complain, but then she noticed that Ymir had fallen asleep, and she rubbed at her tired eyes. “Look, I really need some sleep. Do you think you could watch her for just a few hours?”

“O-of course!” Raiden rushed forward to take the cloth from Nanaba. “Anything you need!”

Nanaba smiled and pressed a kiss to the young cynan’s forehead. “Thank you. If you need anything at all, I’ll be right next door.”

Raiden nodded vigorously, proud at being able to do something to help her mentor. Ever since Adrian and Ymir had been attacked, and since Krista had disappeared, everyone had become depressingly sombre. Raiden understood why, but she didn’t like it. She just hoped that they could somehow find Krista soon. Ymir would be livid when she felt more like herself again, the redhead was sure of it.

Meanwhile, Nanaba took her food and entered the room she shared with Petra, collapsing on the bed after resting the tray down on the bedside table. Petra was there and she pulled her tall cynan close for a hard, desperate hug. The food remained forgotten

“You’re doing too much.”

“I’m not doing enough,” Nanaba deadpanned. She sighed and sought Petra’s hand, sighing when she found it and their fingers intertwined. She caught the sudden glint of gold on the orange-blonde’s finger, and the sight eased her breath a little. “Our first week being married and it’s been hell,” she joked.

Petra rolled her eyes and pushed Nanaba onto her side. She then forced the blonde’s head to rest on her chest, and wrapped her up in a tight hold with one hand running through her soft, blonde hair. “I don’t regret it and I’m not worrying about our first week being awful. The situation is just as it is, we can’t change it.”

Nanaba felt no logical disagreement, so she simply slumped in defeat and sighed. “We can’t tell them yet,” she admitted. “I’ve wanted to. As awful as it is, I’ve wanted to simply blurt it out whenever I’m around them. But I can’t. Not with Ymir in so much pain and with Krista missing.”

“It’s okay, love. When everything sorts out we can throw a party with everyone. Have a small wedding this time, not just with some legal papers and a drunk cynan signing the paperwork.”

Nanaba chuckled at the memory, but then she sobered and grew silent. “We’ll find her,” she said softly, determined. “If it’s the last thing I do. If they took her, then it was for a reason. They won’t kill her.” They both didn’t voice their other concerns, that even though the lycans might not kill Krista, nothing kept them from hurting her while they could. No one could even figure out why they had wanted Krista in the first place. Since the beginning it was obvious that the blonde had been the target. But why? Because of Ymir? Adrian had seemed to know, but he was still unconscious and no one knew when he would wake. It was all a matter of patience, but lately Nanaba felt like she no longer knew how to wait without growing upset.

“I hate to see her like that. So broken and angry. I’m surprised she hasn’t started yelling yet.”

“It’s the injuries. As soon as she feels better I’m sure she’ll cause a lot of trouble.”

“And she’s allowed to.” Nanaba suddenly curled around Petra, slipping a hand underneath her shirt to press it to her stomach. “I’m so grateful that you’re okay.”

“Nothing will happen to me,” Petra promised. “Especially not now that you literally never leave my side if we leave the cabin.”

“I’m sorry. I just can’t take a chance. I don’t know if Krista was the only target or if our enemy will appear again.”

“We can only wait and hope that Ymir and Adrian both recover. When Adrian wakes up, he can tell us what he knows.”

“I’m just worried that he doesn’t wake up in time.”

“Have faith.” Petra turned to press herself to Nanaba’s chest this time, basking in the strength of her, the warm scent that gave her nothing but wild butterflies and comfort. “But relax for now, my love. Sleep. When morning comes you need to speak with the others.”

Nanaba nodded, and then she yawned, suddenly overtaken with exhaustion. “Out of all of this, I hope there is some kind of light at the end of this tunnel.”

Petra quietly agreed. She lifted her hand to press a palm to Nanaba’s cheek, and then she caressed her warm skin there with her thumb, running it along her jaw up to her lips, brushing over them lightly. It filled them both with comfort, and then Nanaba finally relaxed enough to sleep, and she was lucky enough not to have more nightmares. Petra couldn’t say the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So guys, that’s it. The eventual reveal. I’ve been itching since I came up with the idea to reveal the lycans for who they are. *evil cackle* Now, for those that don’t know, I had asked a friend to give me a deadline (which is today, 6th of Feb) to finish this story completely. I didn’t make it, unfortunately, but I have completed a good few chapters. So I will post one chapter per day. Chapter 16 will be posted tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, despite all the drama, and don’t be too lazy to review ^^ I appreciate your thoughts and opinions!


	16. Chapter 16

The healing sessions became less painful as the days passed. Nanaba tried to apply the technique as often as possible, even when Ymir slept, though it usually woke her from the pain. Ymir hadn’t spoken a word since her breakdown a few days ago, and everyone had begun to fear for her. Occasionally the others would drop by for a visit, one by one so as not to overwhelm Ymir. But the brunette never noticed. The only one she ever acknowledged was Nanaba, and even then she failed to look at her. There was a definite depressed atmosphere about her, and everyone could completely understand it.

Nanaba thought about Ymir as she made her way from her room to the large lounge area. The cabin hadn’t really had much in terms of technology and furniture, but since everyone had practically moved in after the attacks, mattresses had been pushed into the room and a large TV had been brought down by Mike. They used it to watch the news, to look out for any stories covering brutal murders that could possibly be the lycans they were looking for. Maybe even Krista would appear on the news, found somewhere isolated. But nothing of the sort ever showed up, and the cynans all grew more agitated the longer they had to wait.

“Don’t give up,” Nanaba spoke as she entered the room. Everyone lounged around, looking exhausted. Raiden was still asleep on the floor atop one of the mattresses, red hair messy on top of her head. She only breathed softly, eyes twitching, so Nanaba did not wake her. “Who is heading out today?”

Everyone looked around, and they seemed to barely remember the schedule they had made. Thankfully Hanji had made a copy—the original hung on the wall nearby—and she tiredly scanned the paper until she found the date and names listed under it. “Me and Rico,” she said. “We’re to search this entire city again, and then the next three before sundown.”

Nanaba nodded. “Who is on watch?”

“We are,” Berik announced. He inclined his head towards Raiden, grinning. “Sorry, she was up all night worrying. I’ll tell her when she wakes up.”

“Let her sleep for as long as she can,” Nanaba told him. She rubbed a hand over her face, just as tired as them all. “I think we all just need one good night’s sleep.”

“But we can’t,” Rico argued. “Not when those monsters might attack us again.”

“She has a point,” Hanji agreed. But she was so tired that she just collapsed on the couch she was sitting on, glasses falling from her face. Rico was the unlucky individual to act as Hanji’s pillow, but the hard edge left her eyes and she gently retrieved the glasses to place them in Hanji’s lap.

“I want anyone that’s strong enough to join guard duty today.”

“Nanaba.” Mike lifted his hand and pointed outside. He was standing by the large sliding door that led out to the back, where they had done training a while back. “The weather looks bad.”

Nanaba hurried over to him, a deep crease between her brows. She took a look outside and nodded once. He was right. Large, dark clouds covered the sky above them and already the wind was beginning to pick up. She knew that they couldn’t go out in that, it was too dangerous. So with a sigh she made a difficult decision, and turned around to let everyone else know.

“Plans have changed. Everyone stays home today. We’ll continue searching as soon as the weather lets up.”

Everyone stilled and looked away, uncomfortable. “Ymir will…” Berik started, his hair falling in his face. He was reminded that it needed a cut, as well as the scratchy hair on his face.

“Ymir will be upset, but I have to think about everyone too,” Nanaba answered. She suddenly felt more drained than she had earlier. “Switch it to the next news station. I want to see the weather report.

“Okay,” Ilse told her, grabbing the remote and switching it to the desired channel.

XxX

The news claimed that a storm would take them for the next three days, with harsh winds and even harsher rain. Nanaba tiredly left the room immediately after getting her desired information, and then she headed down the hall. Beside Ymir’s room was hers, and beside hers was Adrian’s. She alternated between the two, spending an hour with Ymir and then the next with Adrian. Since Ymir would heal faster Nanaba did not have to fuss over her as much. Adrian was still struggling to keep his life, and if not for Nanaba’s quick and talented healing then his injuries would have killed him within a day.

Nanaba went to Adrian first, and she felt familiar disappointment after entering his room and finding him as he had always been—out cold. There were no signs that he had woken yet, and Petra looked up from her seat beside him with a sad look in her eyes.

“His breathing is shallow again.”

Nanaba sat down on the bed and pressed a hand to Adrian’s forehead. She felt heat, so she removed her hand and touched her lips to the skin, realizing that he had a fever. “Damnit,” she whispered. “Petra, can you please get a cold cloth for me? He’s burning up again.”

Petra hurried out for the item immediately, kissing Nanaba just before she left. The blonde was grateful for the quick affection, and it helped to lift her spirit even if just a little. Nanaba checked the old man’s wounds and began to apply healing where there was fresh blood from un-healing skin. Adrian did not even stir as she did this, and all of her wished that the pain would wake him and he would sit up, gasping and complaining. His old eyes would meet hers, and she would feel the world crash in relief, and then he would chuckle in the way that only he could and pull her in for a loving hug. He would call her silly, then. Tell her that he won’t die that easily and that she worried too much. But he wouldn’t, and tears burnt Nanaba’s eyes.

“I put some ice in this cloth,” Petra announced as she entered. “Will this do?”

“Yes, thank you.” Nanaba accepted the items and went to work on wiping Adrian down. His breathing was as shallow as Petra had mentioned, but after he cooled down some, he seemed to breathe more deeply. It allowed Nanaba to breathe more easily, and she took a seat beside his bed with his hand in hers. “Could you check on Ymir for me? Just make sure that she isn’t awake and trying to escape again.”

Petra wanted to comment, wanted to give some words of comfort, but found that nothing popped into her head. She simply nodded, pressed a kiss to Nanaba’s cheek and then left to tend to Ymir.

Nanaba remained like that for a long while, merely sitting there, staring at Adrian’s pale, wrinkled face. She missed him, even though it hadn’t been that long. The fear of him dying was ever present, and it made Nanaba’s stomach twist into painful knots. She eventually released his hand and gently set it down on the bed. With a sharp inhale she stood and headed over to the nearby desk, upon which sat a stack of papers, files and books. Most were from Adrian’s shop, brought in by the others at Nanaba’s request. The blonde did not know any healing spells on her own, and she had needed the aid of the books. Thankfully Adrian had recorded everything, otherwise he would have been gone already.

Underneath the stack of books an envelope peeked out, and Nanaba hesitantly pulled it free. It was worn from having been handled so often, because Nanaba read it every day. Despite that fact, Nanaba felt apprehension when she glanced upon the broken seal. It was of the hunters, and she opened the envelope that doubled as a letter, and read the elegant script.

 _By the order of the organization, your city is under watch. Hunters will be dispatched to join forces and act should they need to._ Nanaba frowned and skipped to the very bottom, not in the mood to skim over all the formal announcements and rules. _Full co-operation is favourable, but should you resist, criminal charges will be made._

She understood their need to become involved, but why _now_ of all times? It didn’t make sense at all. They were only a small group of cynans, and the lycan threat wasn’t an army. Hunters rarely responded this intensely to anything, not for a long while. There had to be a good reason for their presence, another reason that she simply wasn’t seeing.

“Adrian, please wake up,” Nanaba whispered. She put the letter back where it had previously been, and returned to her seat. “I can’t hold us together on my own. We need you.”

But he wasn’t waking, and the longer she stared at his pale face, the sadder she became.

XxX

Days passed, and it finally became two weeks since the attack. Ymir was still as silent as ever, but she seemed to have recovered a lot. When Nanaba entered her room to perform the usual morning healing, Ymir was sitting up and glaring.

“Good morning Ymir. How do you feel?”

Ymir scoffed and looked off to the side, too stubborn to accept Nanaba’s fake enthusiasm. But she answered, and Nanaba was a little surprised that she had spoken at all. “Better.”

“I see that you can sit up. How are your legs doing?”

Ymir gripped at the blanket pooled around her waist. “Fine.”

“Have you regained feeling?”

Ymir scoffed, and as rude as it was, Nanaba felt immense relief that Ymir was becoming more like herself again. “What are you, a fucking doctor?”

“Not a qualified one, no. I probably couldn’t treat a human very well.”

Ymir rolled her eyes and accepted the invasive touching as Nanaba checked her body. As the blonde finished the inspection, Ymir felt her throat constrict. There was something she desperately wanted to ask.

“Nanaba…” Ymir began.

“Hmm?” Nanaba had lifted Ymir’s shirt and was firmly pressing her hands to Ymir’s chest after forcing the brunette to lie down. Neither of them was embarrassed, and soon a green glow highlighted Nanaba’s palms, and then Ymir’s skin beneath them. A warm feeling spread out along Ymir’s skin that accompanied pain, but it was all for healing, so Ymir held her tongue and forced herself not to make a sound. “We can do it today,” Nanaba said softly. Her eyes were focused on her hands, but then she flicked them to Ymir’s face and smiled. “I want you to see if you can send Krista a message. We can’t head out to search for her today, because the weather is bad and—”

“Krista could be dead right now and you can’t look for her because of a little rain?” Ymir sat up and shoved Nanaba away from her, cutting the healing session short.

“Ymir—”

“Don’t you fucking start with me! You’ve kept me in this bed for two fucking weeks. I trusted you to look for her while I can’t!”

“Ymir, I have to consider our safety as well.”

Ymir threw the blanket from her scantly covered body and wobbled onto her legs. She slapped Nanaba’s hand away when the blonde offered it, and went over to the sliding door. Just as she shoved the curtain aside a fierce crack of lightning hit the backyard, lighting them up with a white glow, and then a heavy clap of thunder followed. Nanaba flinched badly but Ymir didn’t move.

“Do you think I can get to her?” she asked.

“I think it’s worth a try,” Nanaba answered.

“When can I do it?”

Nanaba rubbed a hand over her heart. She was shaking, but she knew that she couldn’t let her childish fear of thunder keep her from doing her duty. Petra came in quickly though, more aware than anyone that Nanaba struggled in times like these.

“Are you okay?” she asked, worry and concern written all over her face. She pulled Nanaba to her and gave her a firm, comforting hug. Nanaba’s shivering ceased immediately.

“I’m fine, thank you.” She smiled and noticed that Ymir was ignoring them. It definitely wasn’t a time to flaunt the fact that her own mate was safe and in her arms. So Nanaba gently pulled away from Petra after quickly pressing a kiss to her forehead, and then she placed her hands on the orange-blonde’s shoulders. “Could you get a few things for me?”

“Of course!”

“I need six candles.”

“Six exactly?”

“Yes, please. They’ll be in the study room beside the bookcase.”

Petra had a good guess as to what they would use the candles for so she had no need to ask. Without wasting any time she hurried to get the items, and then brought them back just as quickly. Nanaba thanked her with a charming smile and then waited until she left the room again.

“This might sound cliché, but candles will help with this.”

“How?” Ymir looked over her shoulder, brown eyes dull. Even the anger from earlier was gone. Despite days of nothing but sleep and rest, Ymir looked tired. “They’re just candles.”

“Well you aren’t wrong,” Nanaba said as she placed the candles at specific points all around the room, lighting them one by one. “But I do believe that these are special candles. They will help you to concentrate.” She placed the sixth on the floor, switched the ceiling light off and then sat down by the candle. This one wasn’t lit just yet. “Sit by me.”

Ymir sat down in front of Nanaba, with the candle between them. “Now what?”

“I need you to be the one to light this candle.” She handed a lighter over, and when Ymir completed the task with a sigh, she took it back and placed it down on the floor. “Okay, now this isn’t going to be as easy as you think. You can’t just simply access your connection like you always did. How quickly you reach her depends on the distance between you.”

“And if she’s dead?” The words stung to say, and Ymir felt them like acid on her tongue, rolling over it to slide down her throat, burning, and churn inside of her stomach. She felt sick.

“If she’s dead, Ymir, she—” Nanaba paused suddenly to rub her eyes. “When you enter the connection this way, and if she is dead, then you will feel it instantly.”

“What will it feel like?”

“Only you will know. I can’t tell you.”

Ymir nodded. “Let’s do it.” Her heart pounded painfully and surely her palms were sweating, but she was eager to do this. Lying around in bed, doing nothing but thinking had driven her insane. Krista’s condition weighed heavily on her mind, and she had found herself sobbing more than just once when she was sure no one would interrupt.

“Okay. What I need you to do is look into the flame. Look at nothing but the flame and leave all other thoughts from your mind. When your head is clear, reach into your heart for the familiar string of energy that you recognize as your connection. The thread from your end should be there. When you find and follow it, you’ll lose awareness of your physical self. Going this deeply into the connection can be dangerous, but it’s our only hope. Can you do this?”

“Yes,” Ymir growled, upset at the delay so that Nanaba could express useless worry. She focused her gaze on the flame as was needed, and cleared her mind of all thoughts. It was very difficult at first, because the flame made her remember a lot of things and she would end up thinking about them. Memory upon memory interrupted her, and after five minutes she was still struggling to leave her chaotic thoughts behind. “It’s not working.”

Nanaba had been studying her face the entire time. She wasn’t surprised to discover that Ymir couldn’t do it. A troubled mind could not easily become a quite mind. So she crawled all the way to Ymir’s back, leaned against her and gently pressed her palms to her ears. “Okay, I will eliminate your hearing. Focus your feeling on the heat of my body and then look into the flame. Only think about how warm I am and how bright the flame is. Let yourself fall into the sensations until your head is empty.”

Ymir felt all kinds of uncomfortable at Nanaba being so close but she was desperate enough to go with it. She did as the blonde told and focused her mind both ways. It worked in a matter of minutes, and Ymir felt her surroundings melt into a warm darkness. The warmth wasn’t simply from Nanaba’s body or the flame in front of her, it was from everywhere, outside and within. Ymir closed her eyes and began her search for the thread. She had no idea what to look for really, but searched anyway. In seconds she felt the phantom sensation of her hands reaching out and grabbing onto something warm. There was no sight—only feeling. The warmth travelled all around her and she followed it.

Ymir’s eyebrow twitched lightly as she concentrated on following the string of the connection. It almost felt as though she was walking away, and as Nanaba has said, she felt no sensations from her physical body. All she felt was warmth and weightlessness, and the longer she pulled at the string, the further away she floated. In the far distance Ymir sensed a great, bright light. Immediately she recognized it, and her soul rejoiced. Without her immediate agreement her phantom hands reached out and internal words flew in the space between them.

_Krista!_

She pulled more urgently at the string, coming closer and closer to the light. The closer she got, the colder it suddenly became. But there was a gentle thrumming, almost like a beat, and when Ymir realized that it was the sound of Krista’s fluttering heartbeat, she breathed an audible sigh of relief.

_Krista, are you there? Can you talk to me? Please tell me where you are! Are you okay?_

Ymir sensed a struggle, the wash of cold fear and confusion. Anger shook along her hands, within the string, and she furrowed her brows in worry. These were emotions, and none of them were from her. Anger, pain and denial—they all surrounded her like a whirlwind. But in all of it, Ymir sensed that Krista was struggling, and it sent panic right through her physical body.

_Krista, say something! I can feel you!_

The light began to fade, the thrumming beat and the slight warmth it brought dissipating with it. At first Ymir panicked that perhaps Krista was dying, but then she realized that the connection was being blocked. Krista seemed just as panicked, and her muffled screams met Ymir’s phantom ears.

_Krista!_

It was almost as if Krista was begging, but the sounds of her words were muffled, as if she was still too far away, the connection too fuzzy. The string in Ymir’s hands began to shudder and convulse as if someone was taking an axe to it. And Ymir knew that that was probably the case. She frantically pulled herself closer, reaching out in desperation. The connection continued to wane, becoming so thin that Ymir lost her grip. As she began her descent back to where she had come, a clear, shaken voice burst into her mind, and the sound of it sent Ymir back with a gasp that carried shock and relief.

_Ymir!_

Ymir gasped as she came back to herself. Her eyes flew open and before Nanaba could ask how it had gone, Ymir was stumbling to the door again. She threw it open, uncaring that rain and wind flew into her and into the room. Nanaba was quickly behind her, pulling her back into the room. Had Ymir been stronger, she would have broken free from her grasp.

“Let me go! I need to go to her! Krista is alive and she needs me!”

“Ymir, stop! Do you have an exact location?”

“No! But let me go!”

“Ymir, think about this first.” Nanaba struggled, grunting in pain when Ymir’s elbow slammed into her chest. “You can’t just run to wherever you think you went!”

“I have a general direction!” Ymir yelled, tears pouring down her face and mingling with the rain battering her skin.

“Ymir, please!”

A loud boom of lightning and thunder interrupted their struggle and the both of them fell backwards into the room. Nanaba curled into a ball upon reflex, shivering yet again, and Ymir simply remained sprawled out on her back. Most of her injuries were gone, so she did not ache too badly from the fall. Her skin was wet and cold, and she shivered because of the weather.

Petra came running into the room, ever the one on time. She battled with the sliding door and managed to close it, and then she ripped the curtains closed and collected Nanaba into her arms.

“What happened?!” She noted that the two of them were soaked and shivering.

Ymir covered her face with a hand to hide her tears. Never in her life had she felt such a strong urge to cry. That call, Krista’s voice screaming her name had sounded so anguished and painful. Krista was alive, but Ymir knew that she was definitely not happy.

Nanaba managed to calm herself and Petra down. She explained what had happened, and then she managed to get Ymir back into her bed after pulling her soaked clothing off. Petra helped to dress Ymir in clean, dry clothes since Ymir seemed too consumed in her own pain to do it for herself, and then she forced Nanaba to leave the room with her.

Ymir curled up and pressed a hand to her chest. The bones there had healed, along with the many cuts and slashes along her skin. Her jaw and leg had healed, as well, but the one wound that had yet to heal ached, and Ymir choked back more tears as she felt the sudden deafening silence in her head and the aching hole in her chest. There was no one occupying it. It was as if Krista had destroyed their connection, pulled out of her soul. Or died.

There was only pain. If souls could bleed, then Ymir’s was doing so. She gasped and sputtered, tears burning her face and soaking her pillow. The wind howled outside, rain pelting the glass. Ymir howled with it, hoping that the volume of the storm quieted the volume of her pain.

 XxX

The next day Ymir was finally allowed to begin shifting again. She was still affected by the secret technique, but it became easier to change as the days went by. Nanaba still sent teams out to look for Krista, but it was becoming obvious that she was not anywhere close to them. The blonde didn’t want to send them too far, and Ymir actively argued against this, wanting to search herself but unable to while she still struggled to change. So Ymir dedicated every second of her days to changing, finding that with each new try she was able to change further and further until she could stand on all fours again. At first, after finally fully changing into her cynan form, she struggled to keep it and stumbled forward from four legs back onto two. She would curse and simply try again, and then she could hold her form without struggle, and shifting became as natural as breathing again. Ymir nearly wept when she was finally able to run with the others again.

Ymir, along with the others, was given regular guard duty. Ymir hated it—she wanted to leave the city to look for Krista even though she did not know where to look. After three weeks had passed since the attack, Nanaba declared that all searches for Krista would cease. They could not find her, and now they had to focus on protecting Adrian and themselves. However, Ymir was not happy.

“Are you fucking serious?” Ymir bellowed, hands clenched tightly at her sides. “We can’t stop yet!”

The others were in the room, and all of them looked away. They felt the same, but they also agreed with Nanaba’s decision. It was becoming difficult to scout the same areas day after day, looking for something they knew they would not find.

“Ymir, we can’t do it anymore.”

Ymir was brimming with anger. “She’s alive out there somewhere! The longer we wait the more she might have to suffer!”

“Ymir!” Nanaba shouted, teeth and claws out. Her voice was so loud that everyone flinched. They knew the power and authority there, and no one but Ymir had the courage to challenge it.

“Fuck this!” Ymir stormed out of the lounge, heading straight for the front door. It was a sunny day, and the light burnt her eyes after she stepped into it. The others started yelling behind her, but she ignored them and pulled her shirt over her head.

“Ymir, where are you going?” Hanji asked.

“Don’t leave, please!” Raiden begged. Berik nodded, agreeing with her.

“Ymir, please,” Nanaba watched Ymir walk away, struggling out of her pants. “What can you do alone?”

“More than you idiots can do together,” she said over her shoulder. When she was finally freed from her clothing she shifted into her cynan form and took off running down the road, not sending a glance back.

Mike and Ilse shifted, but Nanaba held an arm out to stop them from running off. “Just follow her to see where she goes. If she leaves the city then come back.”

The two cynans nodded and then ran after Ymir. Raiden shifted quickly too, ready and excited to join the run, but stopped when Nanaba told her to.

“You aren’t going anywhere.”

 _Oh, come on!_ Raiden complained.

“Don’t start giving me trouble too!” Nanaba snapped at her. She turned furiously and kicked the nearest tree. Her foot went through it with ease, and she pulled it out quickly with an angered grunt. Raiden’s ears folded back, and then she shifted back and headed inside with everyone else. The only one that remained outside with Nanaba was Petra, and she put a gentle hand on the blonde’s arm.

“Out of everyone, only you can understand how she feels. Let her go. She needs to figure this out on her own.”

Nanaba shut her eyes and slammed her fist against her forehead. Petra quickly grabbed her wrist to prevent her from doing it again. “I know, damnit. _I know._ But this isn’t easy for me either. I can’t just think about her. I have you and everywhere else, and god, Adrian. He needs me. We can’t keep chasing after a ghost.”

Petra felt the comment like a stab to the heart, but her worry for Nanaba far outweighed any anger at the insensitivity. She could tell without asking that Nanaba was just as cut up, and more frightened than anyone. “Come inside and have a hot bath. Everyone will keep watch. They know what to do.”

Nanaba did not want to. She hated lounging around and relaxing when everyone was suffering, but she also knew that she needed one, so she allowed Petra to pull her inside, and she reluctantly pulled the front door shut with them.

XxX

Their paws pounded heavily on the gravel road as they ran fast enough to keep up, but at a comfortable distance so that Ymir did not notice them. Mike kept the pace easily, but after a while Ilse grew breathless and she struggled to keep up. They had circled the city many times, going through yards, running across streets and keeping to areas with plenty of trees. Ymir seemed to be searching, so they let her do her thing.

 _Do you think she’ll head back after this?_ Ilse asked, her inner voice slightly huffy.

Mike snorted in amusement at her struggle. _Probably not._

_Think she’ll leave the city?_

_She’s frantic. I don’t think she’ll come back._

Ilse swallowed and added a little more fire to her muscles. Dirt kicked up behind them and birds quieted whenever they entered a new area.

_She shouldn’t do this on her own._

_She has to figure that out by herself. We can’t all play babysitter anymore._

Ilse growled. _Mike! She’s just lost her soulmate. She doesn’t even know where she is or if she’s okay._

Mike rolled his eyes. _I don’t really get it, but sorry._

They fell into silence as they fell into step, and Ymir remained a small dot in the distance. If they lost sight of her they simply followed her scent until they caught up again. They also kept a nose out for any lycan scents, but hadn’t come across one since the attack. It was like the wolves had just left, and none of them could figure out why. It was irritating.

Ymir continued to run for another good hour, and instead of heading to the exit of the city, she headed to the inner section of it and entered the home she had shared with Krista. Both Mike and Ilse remained outside, panting and catching their breaths after running for so long. They would wait all day for Ymir, even sleep out there if they needed to. They could not lose Ymir, otherwise Nanaba would be upset and they did not want to make matters worse for everyone.

Inside the house Ymir padded across the cold floor on bare, human feet. She hated having to shift back, but wouldn’t have been able to get into the house otherwise. Being at the cabin as long as she had—though in essence not that much time had really passed—Ymir hadn’t really felt the true impact of her situation. Part of her had still been swimming in denial, in a false sense of hope that this was all a sick, morbid dream. Everything had fallen off the deep end so quickly that her head was still swimming, but the chaos in her mind stilled the moment she entered the master bedroom and she came across the messy, untouched bed.

It was like it had been the day of the attack. She remembered how they had been that morning, resting in bed. She’d been cuddling with Krista, enjoying her warmth and the simple happiness from being around her. But then Adrian had called, and then that… that _man_ had called and it all went to shit. Ymir remembered the attack, the feel of the claws sliding through her skin. She flinched.

Nanaba had offered many times to bring a mirror into the room, either a small or a large one. Each time Ymir had declined. It was still too painful to look, too raw. The scars were a glaring reminder of how badly she had failed—not just herself, but Krista. Oh she had failed Krista the most. Every ounce of effort she had put into training had never been enough. Ymir wished that she had been more determined and that Nanaba had been harsher. But things were now as they stood, and no amount of ‘what ifs’ could change that. It was time Ymir took a look at the damage.

Hesitantly she walked over to the mirror that Krista always used to fix her hair and makeup before leaving the house. Her heart twinged at the fact, but she pushed the thought away quickly and fixed her gaze on her reflection. Not eating much over the last few weeks and healing as rapidly as she did hadn’t done any good for her features. She looked starved and thin, with hollows at her cheeks and dark, angry circles underneath her eyes. She looked gaunt, and Ymir frowned deeply at the haunted quality to her gaze. If just this was bad enough, what would the rest of her look like?

The scars on her face weren’t all that bad, at least, but a lot of them were noticeable almost immediately. Two thin lines cut across her left eyebrow and stopped just before her eyelid. Three jagged, silver lines went over the curve of her jaw and down her neck. Some scars were still pink, and some small enough not to notice. Nanaba had clearly added more focus on some scars than on others. But that wasn’t all there was to see, and Ymir lowered her eyes with a growing fear and anger building inside of her.

Scars ran across her torso in pairs of two or three. The largest looked the ugliest, starting at her shoulder and ripping right down to her hip at the other side of her body. That scar had three lines, while most of the others had only one or two. Ymir turned and looked at her back, cringing at the same ugly three lined scar that ran down the middle of her back from shoulders to her lower back. Where Alphard had jabbed her, there was still a bruise. Ymir hadn’t even realized that it was there. Thankfully all the other bruises on her had healed. All that remained really were just the scars.

Sucking in a deep breath, Ymir staggered away from the mirror and regretted having looked at it. She collapsed by the corner of the bed, gripping onto the sheets atop the bed for some kind of balance. Burning, hot panic shot through her, closing her airways and clenching her heart. She grabbed at her chest, gasping and grunting, and squeezed her eyes shut as the memories of the attack washed over her. She remembered every moment with Krista then, of how they had met and the many moments after...

_“The pipsqueak hardly has any food,” the person muttered and stood up straight._

_“U-uh… if you d-don’t leave now I’ll c-c-call the police!” Krista shouted suddenly, startling no one but herself._

_The person at her fridge straightened properly in surprise and turned slowly._

_“Did I wake you, shorty?” she asked harshly, distaste just dripping from her voice._

_“Wh-who are you?!” Krista squeaked out, hands still trembling away in front of her._

_The woman chuckled. “Don’t you recognise me?” She wiggled her eyebrows and leaned forward on her elbows, waiting. Krista shook her head, confused as hell. “Oh? Well, what if I said ‘woof’, would that jog your memory?” the brunette sounded clearly amused, but mostly upset for some strange reason._

_“Wh-what?” Krista questioned in utter confusion. Her brain was starting to sizzle. Not only was there a gorgeous naked woman standing in her kitchen, naked, but she was naked and Krista couldn’t ignore the fact that she was naked. There was the apron, but still. Naked. “U-um…”_

_“Jesus, are you stupid?” The woman shook her head and turned around, showing her bare ass off to Krista as she fiddled around at the stove._

_Krista blushed again and looked away. “Who are you?”_

_“That dog you picked up in the street, the one you almost hit with your car.”_

_“It’s yours?” None of this made sense. “Where is she though?”_

_“No. I am the dog, stupid.” The woman ran a hand through her hair and glanced over her shoulder. “Nice to meet you.”_

_x_

_"I wasn't joking, you weren't dreaming. I'm the damn dog."_

_"Impossible." Krista shook her head. "That goes against logic!"_

_"You're telling me. Look, I don't know shit about why or how I ended up like this, only that I did and you ended up finding me."_

_“I… I… I…” Krista couldn’t form an intelligent thought. She was in complete shock._

_“Look,” the woman crouched down in front of her and offered her hand. “I probably should have introduced myself properly last night. My name is Ymir and I am a human, at least, from midnight until 3 a.m. it seems.”_

_Krista glanced over at her bedside clock. It glowed a bright 00:12 back at her._

_“Th-this can’t be real.” Krista closed her eyes tightly and hid her face against her knees. She counted to ten and then uncovered her face. It didn’t work. Of course it wouldn’t have._

_Ymir was still crouched in front of her, hand outstretched and eyes pleading._

_“I-I’m Krista,” the blonde said faintly and took Ymir’s much larger hand in her own. “Are you really the dog?”_

_Ymir nodded. “If you don’t believe me then stay up until 3 and you’ll see me evaporate into that damn dog again. Though I'm not sure if that’s the set time. I haven’t been like this for long.”_

_x_

_"Oh, it's you." Ymir sighed and rested back down. "I didn't ask for your help."_

_"Then why were you by my front door?"_

_"I don't remember. How do I know you didn't find me somewhere and just bring me back?"_

_Krista tilted her head. "If I found you injured of course I would have, but no, I didn’t." She sat down on the floor in front of the couch and placed her hand against Ymir's stomach. "What happened to you?"_

_Ymir's jaw clenched at the small warm hand on her skin and roughly knocked it away. The movement jostled her wounds, making her suck in a deep breath and wince. "None of your business."_

_x_

_“You just want to keep me here to keep you from crying alone in your bed before going to sleep, right?”_

_Krista sighed. “Not really.” Ymir raised an eyebrow. “It’s true that I am lonely but I don’t cry myself to sleep and I’m not keeping you around for something selfish like that.”_

_Ymir scoffed. “Right, whatever. So can I go back to sleep without expecting you to molest me or try to talk about feelings?”_

_Krista’s cheeks puffed up in anger and she blushed. “I did not m-molest you! And I won’t!” She looked down and pouted. “But fine, I’ll leave you alone since I’m tired too.” Krista raised her head. “Don’t you want to stay awake while you’re human, though?”_

_Ymir’s smirk had dropped and now she simply looked bored. “Not really. I’m tired. Sleep seems more appealing. Leave me alone tomorrow too, if I’m still here when you wake.”_

_x_

_“How?”_

_Krista finished at the stove and carried the plate over to Ymir. “Well there’s one method that requires a drawn pentagram in the soil at midnight.”_

_Ymir cringed. “That shit is creepy.” Krista nodded enthusiastically in agreement. “So you think that’s it?”_

_The blonde shrugged. “It could be. I mean, it’s a start. So, can I have a list of people you’ve upset?”_

_Ymir chuckled humourlessly and glanced over at Krista. “You mean a list of the entire population?”_

_x_

_“Ymir?” Krista squeaked out. How the hell had they ended up in that position and why was Ymir on top of her like that, looking at her the way she was?_

_“Kris… ta…” Ymir uttered, her voice strained and thick. Sweat dripped off of her forehead, nose and chin and she looked incredibly flushed._

_Krista realized that her body was trembling and ignored her initial confusion and fear in favour of worry. “Ymir, what’s wrong? You feel incredibly hot.” She managed to lift an arm and touched her palm to Ymir’s cheek. For some reason the touch made Ymir flinch but groan._

_“Don’t… touch…”_

_x_

_“Krista…” Ymir whispered in a groan. It sounded strangled and pained._

_Krista’s eyes immediately shot open and she gasped. Ymir had leaned forward and their faces were now mere inches apart. “Y-Ymir?” This was just like that night when she first discovered Ymir’s hot flushes, the night they had kissed._

_x_

_“Guilty?” Ymir scoffed. “I’m not guilty. Just didn’t want to owe you, is all.”_

_Krista smiled softly at the obvious lie. “Whatever you say. How’s the fever?”_

_“Fevering away.”_

_“When we get home I’ll get another cloth and wipe you down again, or you can take a shower.”_

_Ymir pressed her mouth against her palm and hid her smile. “I’ll shower. I don’t need you feeling my body up every day.”_

_Krista blushed. “I-I don’t!”_

_x_

_“Not my fault you forgot you were in your underwear.” Ymir leaned her chin on her hand and grinned even more. She just couldn’t resist teasing Krista. The way she reacted was too adorable._

_“I-I was tired, okay!”_

_“Are you sure you just didn’t want to give me a flash?” Ymir wiggled her eyebrows, and ignored the spike in her own pulse. If only…_

_“N-no! You jerk. Eat your steak or I’ll take it away and you’ll starve.”_

_Ymir laughed. “You wouldn’t! You care about me too much.”_

_x_

_A long, foggy breath escaped into the air and she opened her mouth to reveal long, sharp fangs. Without breaking the rhythm of her thrusting hips, Ymir bent down and bit down between Krista’s shoulder and neck._

_Krista’s eyes shot open in surprise and she slammed her head back against the pillow while she arched off of the bed and into Ymir. She felt each of the brunette’s defined muscles against her stomach due to how pressed up against each other they were. A shot of pain mingled in with pleasure sailed through Krista’s body and collected at her core. She throbbed hotly and groaned. For some reason, the feel of Ymir’s sharp teeth sinking into her shoulder felt so damn good._

_x_

_“And I can’t believe you would–”_

_“Krista, shut up.” Ymir interrupted smoothly._

_“W-what?” Krista’s face flushed with anger and she tightened her fists._

_Ymir noticed, but didn’t act like she had. “I said, shut up.” In a sudden fast movement she grabbed Krista by the shoulders and pressed her up against the wall._

_“Ymir, what are you…?”_

_“Shhh.” Ymir pressed her lips to Krista’s ear and swallowed. Her breathing was laboured and her body felt sticky with sweat. An intense desire seared across her skin and finally, in that moment, she could act on it. “I love you.” Ymir announced._

_Krista completely froze from trying to push Ymir away, and simply rested her hands against her chest. “You what?”_

_Ymir sighed. “I said I love you.”_

_x_

_She bumped their foreheads together, still gazing into Ymir’s eyes. “I am your soulmate, and I meant it from the moment I saw you; I am always on your side, and with you I feel like I don’t have to fear anything because I can do anything.”_

_Ymir smiled, and then she chuckled. “It sure takes a lot to convince my stubborn ass, huh?”_

_Krista sighed deeply in relief and laughed too. “But I’ll never give up. I’m just sorry that I had to make you so mad.”_

_x_

_“Uh, Ymir…?” Krista approached her sleep deprived love and gently placed a hand on her shoulder._

_“Huh? What” Ymir dropped her half lidded eyes to gaze questioningly at her blonde mate._

_“Your shirt is inside out.” Krista pointed out lightly._

_Ymir paused in pulling her shirt over her head, glanced at it and then sighed. “Oh.” She was about to pull it off but then Krista did it for her and put it on properly. Ymir was too tired to object and simply allowed the blonde to dress her._

_“I think I’ll ask Nanaba if she can give you a break.” Krista announced, worry etched on her face. “I don’t like seeing you so out of it.”_

_x_

_“Actually, I sold my house a while ago. I was going to tell you about that too…”_

_“Ymir!” Krista looked mortified. “What are you going to do?”_

_“I just figured I would live with you. I mean, I already occupy half of your cupboard and your room is really our room now. I can always find a new job.” Ymir shrugged, acting like it was something mundane. She couldn’t hide how she was feeling though, and Krista could feel the wave of anxiety and fear from her._

_“Oh Ymir, of course! I’ve been dreading the day you would move back to your house, I just never got around to mentioning it either. I would really love it if you stayed with me, in our home.”_

_At that Ymir’s heart skipped a beat. “I like the sound of that.” She pulled Krista to her and enveloped her in a tight, loving hug. “I love you, squirt.”_

_Krista giggled against her shoulder. “I love you too.”_

Ymir finally calmed down enough to breathe evenly again, but standing took another few minutes. She could smell Krista all around the room, and it was partly because of that that she had suddenly fallen into a pit of all those difficult and wonderful memories. If only she hadn’t remember that now. Her chest burnt so badly, and tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. Ymir stood, a fist pressed to her heart, and ran her eyes over the disheveled bed cover. She knew then that there was no way she would rest until she found her mate. Krista was out there, she knew it. Even if she was dead, Ymir would find her and bring her back. But she refused to believe the worst, and swallowed all of her fear as she left the house and changed. No matter how far she had to run, Ymir would do it. For Krista, she would run to the ends of the earth.

Mike and Ilse had been waiting for just over an hour when their target finally came into view again, running from the house at top speed. They wondered briefly what the brunette had done, and then decided not to dawdle and hurried after her. Like earlier she simply ran around, sniffing every area she could, and then finally she showed signs of heading out of the city. While Ilse did momentarily consider catching up to Ymir and asking her to stay, she decided rather not to. They could only follow behind Ymir until she reached the edge of the city and crossed it, heading out onto the highway that led far away. Mike stopped first by a collection of old trees, but Ilse went on for a few minutes more before she finally forced herself to stop. Mike walked up to her, and the two of them stood there and watched as Ymir ran in the distance, her form shrinking until she was nothing but a tiny dot.

 _We should head back,_ Mike suggested. _Nanaba needs to know._

Ilse nodded and turned around with Mike. _I hope at least Adrian is doing well. Nanaba doesn’t need all this stress._

Mike grunted in agreement, and the pair hurried back.

 _I hope Ymir comes back soon,_ Ilse said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyy the new chapter! Did you guys enjoy it? I’d love to hear from you. Chapter 17 will be posted tomorrow. Don’t forget to comment!


	17. Chapter 17

There was no specific location in mind, only a general direction. Ymir tried her best to remain on the line she had followed when finding Krista through their connection. Truthfully, she knew that her actions were rash and impulsive. But this was at least  _something._ How else would she find her love if she did not go out of her way to find her, with whatever lead, small or large? Her breaths were harsh and her lungs burnt, since she was out of shape, but she continued to run. Running was freeing. Running gave her hope.

Hours went by of Ymir’s thundering footsteps on the hard ground. She had been led off of the highway, heading west of the city. There was no guarantee that simply running would get her to Krista’s side. Ymir had to try anyway.

She did not expect to run into anyone on her trek. When she found her way back on the highway, still following her inner compass, four black vehicles appeared in the distance, driving towards her. She ran off the road and hid between the trees parallel to the road, but kept on running. Any normal person would assume the vans were simply coincidence and were doing nothing more sinister than driving to the city. But Ymir wasn’t normal, and considering her involvement in all things supernatural, the situation was suspicious. So she kept on her guard as she continued to run, and when the vans eventually passed her, she glanced behind her to see them leave. Just as she assumed that she was being stupidly paranoid, the vehicles all screeched to a halt, two turning to follow after her. They blocked the road from both sides of her, and Ymir stopped running to crouch by the trees and growl.

From one vehicle to the right a black haired woman exited. She wore all black along with an overdramatic black coat that bellowed at her ankles, and a scarlet scarf wrapped around her neck and mouth. There was no doubt that Ymir recognized her, and she felt a great amount of confusion when another figure stepped from the car, and this one was a brunette once thought to be clumsy.

Ymir had no plan to step out from her cover, but her curiosity made her stay. She watched the pair converse quietly between each other, and then they pulled weapons out from a large suitcase brought to them buy a big, bulky man. Mikasa strapped two large blades to her back, and then slipped thick, black leather gloves on. The tips of the gloves were silver, and Ymir guessed them to be metal tips.

“Where is she?” the brunette, Sasha, asked cheerfully. She was still fiddling around with her blades. Mikasa sighed, roughly turned Sasha around and strapped the weapons on for her. “Thanks,” Sasha added sheepishly.

“She is hiding by the trees there,” Mikasa answered, pointing to Ymir’s exact spot.

Ymir felt her hairs stand up and she growled loud enough for them to hear. Sasha clearly did and it showed when she flinched and stepped closer to the car. However, Mikasa showed no emotion. She seemed a lot more stony faced now than she had been when Ymir had hung out with her at Krista’s request.

If Mikasa and Sasha were here, strapping blades to their backs, able to locate Ymir with ease, then who were they really? Had they been lying to Krista as well? How many betrayals would the little blonde have to endure? The anger consumed Ymir. She remembered the fear and confusion that Krista had been experiencing, the desperate calls that Ymir had not been able to hear. Her eyes clouded over, and she jumped out onto the road to scratch angrily at the tar, teeth bared and lips parted. Heavy growls fell from her lips, but like before Mikasa showed no care. It was only Sasha that looked slightly apprehensive.

“She looks really mad,” Sasha said, equally as puzzled by Mikasa’s disinterest.

“She will be,” Mikasa agreed. She slapped her palms together, checking the mobility in her hands, and then nodded once. “Don’t hold back but do not kill her.” Mikasa waited to meet Sasha’s eyes, frowning deeply until the brunette hesitantly nodded and slapped her own palms together too. “Aim for her lower back. If we can force her change she will be helpless and we can easily defeat her.”

Ymir heard every word, and her blood boiled.

“C-can’t we rather try to talk to her?” Sasha asked, sweating. “I mean, we know Ymir! She isn’t the enemy.”

“That is not why we are here,” Mikasa snapped. Finally a crack of emotion bled out on her face. She seemed stiff and pained, but none of that mattered to Ymir. “We are stopping her to protect everyone from the enemy.”

Sasha lowered her head in shame. “I know… I just…”

“Don’t let your personal feelings cloud your judgement.” And with that, Mikasa stepped forward, leaving Sasha behind. “Come on Ymir,” she said. “I can feel your anger all the way from here. Where is it you are heading to?”

Ymir growled again. Her face was a fierce mask of fury. _You know where._

Mikasa lifted her eyebrows in mock surprise. “You can’t go to her, not yet.”

_Why not? What do you know about Krista?_

Mikasa sighed. “That, Ymir, I can’t tell you. But, if you defeat me, then I’ll tell you everything.” She moved into a defensive stance, hands outstretched before her.

_Is that a challenge?_

“Have you ever backed down from a challenge?” She knew each button to press, and Mikasa was good at pressing each one.

_You’re on. Get ready to tell me everything, asshole._

Mikasa wouldn’t admit that the insult stung a lit, but granted, the situation called for it. Ymir did not know who and what she really was. The time wasn’t right to tell her. Not yet. Definitely not now. And at the same time, Mikasa could not allow her exhaustion to show through her impassive face. She would defeat Ymir now, and then she would rest.

“Don’t get cocky,” Mikasa warned.

Ymir snarled and rushed forward. In her blind rage she forgot to think up a strategy or figure out how to best Mikasa. She simply shot forward and swung her paw, expecting it to slap against Mikasa’s face. Instead it was only blocked by Mikasa’s arm with exceptional force. Ymir snarled again and dipped down just as Mikasa attempted to spear a hand through her chest. The metal at the tips of her fingers glinted with the sunlight. Ymir would have to watch out for them.

Just as Ymir swung her arm back in preparation for another swipe, she felt a powerful grip on her paw and growled as she was thrown back with enough strength to skid on the road a good few feet away. When she got onto her feet and looked to Mikasa, she saw Sasha standing defensively in front of her, calm and determined. Gone was the bubbly, energetic young woman Krista had introduced to Ymir. Who stood there now was a stranger, and Ymir wondered why these people had felt the need to pretend.

“I don’t want to do this Ymir,” Sasha told her. Her voice still sounded sweet and warm, but the expression on her face was the opposite. “Please just give up. Let us take you back.”

_Shut up!_ Ymir bounded forward again and lunged with her teeth this time. Sasha dodged her bite and used the cynan’s momentum to slam her fist into Ymir’s jaw from below. It did not stop Ymir in her tracks, and she only whimpered softly from the force of the blow. Mikasa appeared behind her, aiming at Ymir’s lower back, and Ymir quickly spun around to catch Mikasa’s arm in her mouth. Her teeth sunk into flesh but Mikasa did not flinch, and Ymir only let go when Sasha kicked her side and reached for her mouth.

Panting, Ymir jumped away and rounded on them again. Two on one seemed pretty unfair, even though the two women definitely smelt human. Ymir did not know what they were or how they were able to keep up with her _and_ give her a decent fight.

_What are you?_ Ymir asked just as she swiped at them again. Sasha and Mikasa both dodged and then aimed at different ends of her body. Mikasa’s hit connected while Sasha’s didn’t, and when Ymir quickly bounced away from Mikasa’s fist, she failed to notice Sasha appear so suddenly at her back. Mikasa disappeared from her spot in front of Ymir, gone in the blink of an eye as if she had suddenly turned invisible, and then her arms clamped down around Ymir’s neck and the cynan howled in surprise. Sasha’s hands pressed firmly to her lower back and Ymir felt fear enter her system. Scratching at the ground and struggling did her no good. Both women had too strong a hold on her, despite how much larger she was. Mikasa’s muscles were hardened like steel, and Sasha’s hands weren’t tender either.

“We can only tell you this,” Mikasa started. She shared a short glanced with Sasha before the brunette sucked in a deep breath, whispered an apology, and then jammed two fingers into the base of Ymir’s spine. Ymir writhed and whined, collapsing to the ground in agony. Her body shifted and changed until her freckled hands grasped desperately at the hot, black tar. “We are hunters.”

Ymir looked to Mikasa, who was still impassive and cold, and then Sasha, who held a look so full of pain that Ymir felt it reflected in her own gaze. She could only hear Sasha apologise again, and then her eyes slid shut and her body ceased to work.

XxX

Nanaba paced impatiently in front of the cabin. Her hands shook and her heart thundered, and even though she knew that she should not, she could not help but be afraid. A mysterious phone call had come through on the cabin’s landline number. No one knew the number, so Nanaba was weary of whoever had managed to find it. Adrian would have given it out only to a select few. Who that few was, Nanaba would never really know—or she would soon find out. They had told her to wait outside and expect a delivery, and Nanaba had a strong suspicion that she knew what they were about to drop off, and even who _they_ might be. But she held her tongue and ignored her aggravated thoughts. A black van had just appeared down the road, and Nanaba knew that it was them.

The wait was agonizing. All the other cynans had been ordered to wait inside, but none of them were happy with the order. Petra especially argued to wait with Nanaba, but the caller had specifically said that Nanaba was to wait alone. No one else was to witness their arrival, for reasons they had not mentioned. So she waited there alone. She could hear the others on the other side of the front door, growling and pacing since they were all in their cynan forms just in case. Nanaba remained in her human form, because they had asked her to.

After five minutes of waiting the car finally stopped in front of Nanaba. She smelt no lycan or cynan scent, only humans, so she relaxed the slightest. The door to the van swung open, and then Nanaba’s heart shot into her throat when Mikasa climbed out with an unconscious Ymir in her arms.

“What happened?” Nanaba asked, rushing forward to accept the brunette. Mikasa had not strained at the weight, but she seemed relieved to hand Ymir over.

“We caught her two hours outside of the city.”

“Why were you after her?” Nanaba asked. She noted Ymir’s pale complexion and worried the worst. “Jesus, what did you do to her?”

“We had no choice to but force the change. She was fighting back.”

Nanaba winced. Hit twice in such a short amount of time. Ymir would definitely hurt when she woke up. “But why? What do you gain from stopping Ymir and bringing her back to me?”

Mikasa frowned deeply, and sighed. “You know that we aren’t in the business of meaningless bloodshed. We have strict orders not to let Ymir leave the city again. When she wakes, inform her of this. And show her this,” Mikasa pulled a large brown envelope from her coat and placed it down on Ymir’s stomach, since Nanaba’s arms were full. “That should placate her enough to stay put.”

Nanaba furrowed her brows. “I don’t understand, why? Why get involved like this?”

“Our organization has been involved since the beginning. There are certain elements that you aren’t aware of.”

“Such as?”

“None I am at liberty to discuss.”

“So… so I’m just supposed to take Ymir and say thank you?”

A flare of anger crossed Mikasa’s eyes. “Rest assured, we are doing everything we can to locate the wolves involved in this.”

“But why? The only threat is to us.”

“You don’t know, do you?” Mikasa sighed and rubbed her temples, as if she had a splitting headache. She probably did. “The lycans involved have committed multiple brutal murders on human males for the last five years. They never settled down long enough for us to catch them. When we finally get a lead, they disappear. When they settled in your city we began to observe them and determine what their objectives are. Now we finally know, and thanks to their long stay here, we have more leads.”

“So you know where they are?”

Mikasa turned around abruptly and headed back to the van. “No. I suggest that you heal your druid and prepare for a fight. This is far from over.” She climbed in without another word, and then the door slammed shut and the van was off, driving back down the road to wherever it was that hunters went. Nanaba didn’t waste her time watching and mulling over what Mikasa had said. She hurried to the door and stepped through it when Petra pulled it open for her.

“Ymir!” Petra exclaimed, a hand flying to her mouth. “What happened?”

Nanaba rolled her shoulders and looked up to the others, all shifted back, eyes worried and set on Ymir. They looked to her for an explanation and an answer, and it was time that Nanaba told them a little of what she knew.

“Let me put Ymir to bed and heal her. We can all talk afterwards. There is something you all need to know.”

A low grumble travelled through the room, but the cynans parted for Nanaba to pass. They watched her back as she carried Ymir down the hall.

XxX

It only took a few hours for Ymir to wake this time. She groaned when her eyes fluttered, but she did not complain when they opened fully and her gaze landed on Nanaba watching her with worry. She inhaled deeply, having expected this outcome the least, and licked the inside of her mouth. She cringed at how dry it was, and attempted to sit up to grab a glass of water that she knew would be on the bedside table. Instead a sharp current of pain flew up her spine and she cried out because of it.

“Ymir, I’m so sorry,” Nanaba told her, standing up quickly to force Ymir down onto her back. “That technique was used on you again. Your lower back will be bruised and sore for a few days.”

Ymir swallowed and threw an arm over her eyes. Despite her situation, she laughed. “Seriously?” Her laughter made Nanaba frown. “At least I’m not dead. How did I get back here?”

“They brought you.”

Ymir nodded. “Of course they did. I need water.”

“Here.” Nanaba handed a glass over to her and lifted the brunette with an arm underneath her shoulders. When Ymir finished the glass, she gently set her down and then returned the glass to the bedside table. “How do you feel besides the pain at your lower back? Did they do anything else to you?”

“No.” Ymir rubbed a hand over her face. “Nanaba, who are they? You know that one of them was Mikasa, right? You’ve met her. And Sasha! Who the fuck are they?”

Nanaba wondered briefly if she should answer truthfully or answer at all, but decided that the least she owed was an explanation. She had done so for the others, telling them about the hunter involvement. Adrian had only told her about them, no one else.

“They’re called hunters.”

Ymir lowered her hand slowly and stared up at the ceiling. “Mikasa said that too. So what, do they kill us?”

“No, no they don’t.” Nanaba sat back in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, they do but only in certain circumstances.”

“And they’re human?”

“You can call them that.”

“Like, some weird supernatural police unit?”

Nanaba smiled slightly. “I’ve never thought of that before, but it’s an accurate name.”

“What were they doing in Krista’s life?”

The mention of Krista reminded Nanaba of something, and she discarded the conversation to reach over and retrieve the envelope Mikasa had given her. She placed it down on Ymir’s lap and shrugged when the brunette gave her a questioning look.

“Mikasa told me to give this to you. The hunters ask that you please stay here and do not leave the city again. She wouldn’t tell me why. Apparently this will convince you to listen.”

Ymir eyed the envelope. “What’s in it?”

“I don’t know,” Nanaba answered. “It has a seal, so I assumed that it’s for your eyes only. Go on, open it and see what’s inside.”

Ymir felt a touch of nervousness as she broke the seal and tore the envelope open. As she had assumed there was a letter inside, upon it an array of elegant script. It looked almost printed with how well-crafted it was, but Ymir could smell the ink and with her keen eyesight she could spot a few variations of the texts which indicated a sure hand that deviated slightly. Whoever had written this, Ymir thought they were probably pompous and entitled.

With trembling fingers Ymir pulled the letter fully from its purchase in the envelope. The paper warmed immediately to her touch, and a faint pleasant scent clung to it. Ymir’s nose twitched in irritation and she tried her best to ignore the fact that her nose recognized the fabric of the smell, even though it was vastly different. When she rested her eyes on the top right corner of the page, she was surprised to see her name.

“ _Ymir,_

_You do not know me, but I most certainly know of you. I would, since Historia told me. But you probably know her more familiarly as Krista. I am referring to your mate. Now, do not be alarmed, as I can correctly guess that your hands tremble upon this page—which comes from my expensive collection of paper, so do be gentle. Anyway, I assure you that there is no need to panic. To solidify a growing but still fragile friendship, I have sent this letter to you through my subordinates._

_I can also admit that through treating Krista she has grown on me, and to see her happy I am to contact you. She begged and pleaded, and although I am breaking protocol by contacting you at all, I could not look upon her teary gaze and say no. I understand why you are quite taken with her._

_Krista wishes you to know this. She is with me. She is safe. You cannot know where she is or why she is here, for reasons that we cannot share. I only ask, and Krista asks, that you please remain where you are and refrain from seeking her out. I regret having to sever your connection to each other, but it had to be done. Do know that Krista had not been a willing participant, and it was at the utmost a violation and a vile deed. You may do to me what you wish when fate eventually crosses our paths. But for now, you will only know me as this, as a shadow that seeks to watch from a distance. I have grown to care for Krista, and I do not wish her to harm._

_Keep this note to yourself and burn it the moment you can. I beg of you. I hope that Mikasa and Sasha did not injure you too much, and if they used that dreaded technique to take away your claws, then I express my most humble apology._

_To end this secretive note, Krista wishes for me to convey this message: “I love you”. That was from her, and not me, and I pray that you can cognize the presence of a quote. Now, I shall end this note. Good luck in your recovery, and tell the druid that we all appreciate his determination and loyalty over all of these years. You may not know the details behind the appreciation. Within the envelope I have included proof of my promise, and a small gift from me to you. Cherish it and keep it close. Do not let anyone else see it._

-          _D.”_  

Ymir felt a torrent of different emotions. She was almost too nervous to look for whatever was inside the envelope, but found her courage and stuck her hand back in there. Her fingertips brushed against smooth paper, and when she pulled her hand out after pinching the object between her fingertips, all the breath left her lungs.

“What?” Nanaba asked. She had been studying Ymir’s face the entire time. “What is it? What did the letter say?”

Ymir ignored her—or more like, she simply could not hear her. Every focus she had rested on the object before her. It was a picture, not printed but developed, and it was of Krista. She was resting in a bed, light from the early morning sun spilling over her golden hair. She looked banged up and exhausted, but she did not look tortured. Ymir could see that in the image she was healing. It made her breaths come easier, but her heart still stung and her soul cried out to feel Krista within her again. But their connection was gone. At least she knew that Krista hadn’t wanted it to happen.

Eventually she heard Nanaba’s panicked questions, and she quieted them by stuffing the letter back into the envelope and hiding the picture of Krista under her pillow. Nanaba didn’t notice her do the latter.

“It’s, uh…” Should she lie or tell Nanaba the truth? The blonde gave her a searching look. Ymir had never really followed the rules had she? “Here, read it.” She shoved the envelope against Nanaba’s chest and then curled up on the bed. “Burn it when you’re done.”

Nanaba read the letter. Ymir fell asleep while she did, and Nanaba obediently retrieved a lighter and set the letter alight. She felt immense relief that Krista was at least safe, and was glad that Mikasa had been right—the envelope’s contents had convinced Ymir to behave. She only hoped that it would last long enough for something good to happen.

As Nanaba stood by the sliding door, staring out into the darkness outside with the orange glow of the burning letter in her hand, she released a sigh and pressed a fist to the glass. “I wish I knew what was going on.” She barely felt it as the flames reached the tips of her fingers and lapped at them. One gust of breath killed the small fire instantly. “What are we supposed to do, Mikasa? Just sit around and wait?”

Nanaba feared that waiting was all they could do.

XxX

Two months of nothing but patrols and training passed by. Ymir had recovered from her new injury two days after receiving it, and all of the cynans had begun joint training again. However, a team of two would walk the forest while the others trained, and shifts changed twice a day. This time Raiden and Berik were on patrol. It was reaching late afternoon, but training lasted until late in the night and even then someone had to keep a watch around the cabin. No one knew when the lycans might suddenly appear again, and since the hunters were involved, there was no doubt that the wolves had not simply left. They would be back. Only when was the question.

_Man, Nanaba really is being a good leader, huh?_ Berik started, looking for something—anything—to talk about. Conversations had been scarce lately. At least he was finally paired with Raiden. Despite the mess of their lives, she still found a way to be her usual goofy self.

_Yeah, she’s really pulling it together! She’s so great._

Berik snorted loudly and playfully bumped Raiden’s shoulder with his. _Wow, I can see your infatuation all the way from here._

Raiden’s ears flicked up in alarm. _Wh-what? Don’t be stupid!_

_Oh come on, little Raiden has the hots for the leader. Just spit it out._

_There’s nothing to spit out._

_Come on, you know it’s true._

Raiden made a disgusted nose and then took a sudden sharp right turn, leaving Berik in her dust. The young man sputtered and hurried after her.

_Hey, come on! I was just kidding!_ But Raiden wasn’t listening. She had suddenly frozen where the trees broke off for a clearing. Berik was about to make another teasing remark when he stepped up next to her and got a good look at what had Raiden so silent. His lips immediately pulled back so that he could bare his teeth, even though there was no enemy nearby. But the place reeked of one.

_It’s a threat,_ Raiden told him. She bravely stepped forward and sniffed the animal carcass that had been dumped there. Its blood soaked the soft grass, but it had not been killed here and the blood had been dumped in this specific spot, in a neat, perfect circle around the dead creature. _I recognize the scent, too._

_Is it just one scent?_

_Yeah. I think it’s the same one that attacked me. The one Nanaba saved me from._

Berik growled as he came closer to sniff the blood too. All around them was the lycan’s scent, but it led away from the cabin, so they knew that the wolf hadn’t walked any closer. She had been alone, and all she had come here to do was dump the dead deer, circle it with its blood and then leave. They would have wondered why if they had not already known.

_Come on,_ Raiden said. _Let’s head back and tell Nanaba._

_Wait!_ Berik lifted his head and inhaled deeply. _The scent is still strong. She wasn’t here that long ago! If we follow it now, we might be able to catch up._

Raiden turned around to properly face Berik, but the look in her golden eyes was nothing but hostile. _And do what?_ she asked. She shifted suddenly, and pointed specifically at the ugly scars marring her body. “See this? She did this to me. I was absolutely no match and I’m stronger than most of our kind.”

_Yeah but—_

“But nothing!” Raiden snapped. She turned her back on Berik and changed into her cynan form again. _We are heading back and telling Nanaba. Don’t be stupid._

Berik wanted to argue, but he knew that Raiden was right. Part of him was curious, but that part wouldn’t protect him if things went wrong. Raiden had a very good point, and she had even experienced the lycan first hand. The experience hadn’t been pleasant at all. Berik felt a tug of shame at having made the stupid suggestion, but he remained silent as he followed an upset Raiden all the way back to the cabin. Everyone was training where they had left them, but they all paused when Raiden and Berik stepped out of the trees and hurried to Nanaba. The both of them shifted back, since Nanaba was in her human form as well—taking a break—and then they told Nanaba of what they had found.

“Nanaba. We found something on our patrol. We think you need to see it.”

Nanaba lifted an eyebrow and dropped the bottle she had been nursing. “What is it?”

“A carcass,” Berik answered quickly. “An animal carcass.”

Everyone had gathered, all in their human forms, and no one looked happy at the news. Petra suddenly hurried out to them, and she looked distraught. Nanaba reacted immediately, standing up and meeting Petra half way. With Raiden announcing a dead animal in the forest, which Nanaba was sure to be a threat, her mate suddenly rushing out made Nanaba panic.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Adrian,” Petra said, swallowing. “He’s heating up again. What should I do?”

Nanaba sighed and reached out to touch Petra’s face. “I thought something terrible happened.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just, he’s been doing so fine and suddenly his temperature rises.”

“Just cool him down with a cold cloth and some ice. I’ll see to him when I get back.”

“Where are you going?”

“Raiden and Berik found something on their patrol. I’m going out to have a look.”

Petra nodded. “Be safe, okay?”

Nanaba smiled and leaned down for a kiss. “I always am. I’ll be quick.” She turned around and met Mike’s eyes. “Watch her, will you?” The tall man nodded, and Nanaba felt at ease at having to leave the cabin momentarily. “Okay,” she told the redhead standing beside Berik. “Take me to this dead animal.”

And they did. It was only a ten minute walk, five if they had run. Nanaba had insisted that they walk slowly so that she could scent the area, even though Raiden assured that they did not smell anything on their way back. Nanaba had to be sure, so she did not let them hurry her even though she would have liked to move faster, in order to get back quicker.

The carcass was just as it had been when they had left it. Nanaba went right up to it for a scent, and her nose twitched when she picked up on a familiar one. _It was definitely them, I see. I recognize it too._

Raiden sat down and released a high-pitched, upset whine. _It’s the one that nearly killed me. Remember? I’d recognize that smell anywhere._

_I remember._ Nanaba circled the poor creature that had died for nothing more than theatrical effect. Her face would have held a frown had her lips been able to move that way in her cynan form. But she definitely did not look pleased. She would have to look through Adrian’s books to see if there was anything on this specific symbol—a dead animal circled by its blood. Maybe that could warn them of an oncoming attack. Nanaba had a feeling that this was a very clear warning that things would get more difficult from now on. Her stomach churned.

_For now let’s head back home and tell the others. Good job on letting me know._ Nanaba turned and headed back, with Raiden and Berik behind her. Everyone was still training when she returned, so she told Raiden and Berik to take a break and headed inside of the cabin herself, shifted back into her human form. After quickly pulling some clothes onto her body, she made her way to Adrian’s room and gently pushed his door open.

Every muscle in Nanaba’s body suddenly seized when the door fully opened and she stepped inside. Next to Adrian’s bed stood a man, and he lifted his head upon her entrance. Smiling, he lifted a finger to his lips. “Shh. Don’t let the others know.”

Nanaba felt a shiver run down her spine. There was no scent in the room—absolutely nothing. But despite that she had no doubt who this man was. Ymir had spoken about him, often with scorn and loathing. His features matched Ymir’s ever word, and Nanaba felt a savage growl travel up her throat, but she caught it just as it started to rumble in her chest.

“Who are you?”

He chuckled, taking a seat on the bed. He took Adrian’s hand into his own and lightly traced patterns on Adrian’s brown skin. “You know who I am.”

“Why are you here?”

“Did you get our gift?”

Nanaba swallowed the rising bile in her throat. “It was a lure.”

Homura chuckled softly. Like Ymir had described, he wore nothing but a white button up shirt—the top three buttons undone to expose his pale chest—and black pants, with no shoes. His white hair looked fashionably messy, and had he not been an evil monster, Nanaba would have thought him attractive. But his true nature showed in the menacing glow in his eyes, and the way his lips twisted into a sinister smirk.

“You made it too easy—training all of your mutts in one place, leaving the front of your territory wide open. All we needed to do was give you an excuse to leave this place completely. Though, even if you had been close, you would never have sensed me.”

Nanaba took a cautious step into the room and shut the door behind her. She darted her eyes around the room and caught the site of Petra crumbled at Homura’s feet. All at once she felt her chest constrict with panic and anger. But Homura was at Adrian’s throat, and she could not move another inch.

“Why did you come here?”

Homura let his claws grow out and very gently grazed Adrian’s throat with a pointed nail. “Why else?” he asked. “Because she told me to.”

“Are you always your leader’s play thing? Don’t you have a mind of your own?” Nanaba frantically thought of a way to get Homura away from Adrian and from Petra. If she could just get him to jump back, or distract him for a moment, then she could gain the upper hand. Unlike Ymir, Nanaba would not go down so quickly. At least it was only him. If it had been more than one, then she wouldn’t have been able to fight back and win.

Homura stilled and a frightening darkness covered his eyes. He did not lift his face to meet Nanaba’s gaze, but he did continue drawing lines on Adrian’s throat that left only faint cuts. “Yes. I am hers to do with as she wishes. The others hate the idea. They hate having her so in control. But I love it. She could tell me to cut my tongue out and I would do it without hesitation.”

Nanaba’s hands clenched into fists. “You’re disgusting.”

“I’m in love. At least it’s not with a _human._ ” Homura finally looked to his feet at Petra. He had taken her down very easily, though he hadn’t killed her. Liache had ordered him not to kill anyone, _especially_ Nanaba. It made him furious, so he intended to make it all look like an accident.

“What do you want?”

Homura finally removed his claws from Adrian’s throat and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He sighed, as if a world of troubles weighed upon his shoulders. “I want your head,” he answered, looking up to meet Nanaba’s gaze. “And I mean severed from your body.” He stood but did not step away from the bed. “It’s quite ironic,” he started, voice still soft, as if he cared for being quiet around the sleeping old man. “This necklace I wear was created by your people during the wars. Yet here we are, using it against you.” He touched the necklace that Nanaba hadn’t even noticed until then. She recognized it immediately, and her blood ran cold.

“H-how did you find that?”

“She’s amazing at digging up buried secrets. This was just one of them, and making it was quite easy. It’s simple, really. All you require is a special kind of stone soaked in your blood. I could walk through here without any of you realizing it, because it masks my scent by exchanging it for everything around me. Right now I smell like him,” he pointed at Adrian. “Her,” he pointed at Petra, face contorting in disgust. “And even like you.” He grinned toothily, and Nanaba saw the sharp points of his canine fangs.

“If you came here to kill me, then leave them alone. This is between you and me.”

Homura dropped his smile and clenched his hands so tightly that blood dripped onto the floor. He snarled, and Nanaba felt the fine hairs at the back of her neck stand up. Suddenly there was a howl from the back yard, and Nanaba realized that Homura had said ‘we’. The others were there too, and when many angered growls filled the air, Homura took his chance and attacked.

Nanaba spared a single thought for her comrades, hoping that they could defend themselves or run. She did not have the time or ability to escape from the room, because her two most important people were there. Her only option was to fight. She knew that Homura had been the most skilled actor out of the lot, and he had hurt Krista the most. That, combined with the fact that he had dared to hurt Petra, set Nanaba’s fury absolutely ablaze.

They met halfway, fists smashing together. Nanaba grabbed his shirt and used her powerful legs to push him backwards until she slammed him into the wall. But he was just as fast, and he dropped down to dodge her claws that had swung at his face, and then tackled her around the waist. Nanaba grunted in pain at the rough jab of his shoulder into her stomach, but then she wrapped her arms around his waist as well and hurled him over her shoulders. Homura was heavier than he looked but he was light on his feet, and he managed to twist around in time to land on his feet. But Nanaba was already ahead of him, and she grabbed the chair nearby to swing it in his direction. Homura blocked it with his arm and he did not even flinch as the chair shattered and splintered. He grabbed one of the fallen shards of wood and swept his leg underneath Nanaba’s, knocking her off her feet. As soon as she landed on her back with a painful thud he was on her. He pulled his arm back and then swung it down, aiming the sharp wooden shard directly at Nanaba’s throat. But she caught his arm and, snarling, she used her strength to keep the object from sinking into her neck. However, Homura had a free hand, and his used it to wrap around Nanaba’s throat and choke her. He quickly discarded the wood, deciding rather to use his own hands as weapons. Nanaba wasn’t quick enough to grab his hand as it joined the other, and then all she could do was scratch at his wrists, gasping and sputtering while his hands crushed her windpipe.

Black spots danced before her eyes and she violently thrashed about. Homura looked beside himself, grinning and huffing as he struggled to hold on. Nanaba’s head swam, and for the briefest of moments she thought that she would actually die this time. He would snap her neck. But she caught Petra’s slumped form in the corner of her eye, and the most inhuman snarl left her lips as her muscles bulged and expanded. Her claws and teeth grew out fully and then she slashed upwards and cut eight lines across Homura’s face. The man released her immediately to grab at his face and shout in pain, but then Nanaba used her new found strength and threw him off of her. She was on him in seconds, punching on every available bit of his body. He shielded his face and endured the brunt of it, but then he caught Nanaba’s fists in her rage and threw her off of him. They both stood, and then they circled each other, growling and glaring.

“You’re stronger than you look,” Homura said. He was bleeding profusely and he was lucky that she had not scratched either of his eyes. But blood seeped into them and it was uncomfortable. “Dying here is not worth it.” He looked to the sliding door, where he had apparently slipped in. He made for it, rushing quickly, but Nanaba caught him halfway and slammed him up against the nearest wall. Homura actually gasped in pain, but then Nanaba sunk her teeth into his shoulder and he screamed.

Bloodlust suddenly filled her, and Nanaba could not stop herself even if she had wanted to. She threw him down again, sat down on him and then began to slash away. Blood sprayed everywhere, hers and his, and she loved it. Homura did not utter another sound, but he shielded his face and retaliated with just as many strikes. When it seemed that she could actually kill him, Nanaba suddenly felt a strong hand grab the back of her neck and throw her so hard that she flew across the room and smashed through the wall. When she stumbled back into the room, gasping in pain and for breath, Homura was gone, but a heavy smear of blood remained in his wake and Nanaba knew that someone had dragged him out.

Nanaba barely noticed the cuts on her face as she stumbled over to Petra and collapsed by her. The orange-blonde had no injuries other than a bruise at her temple, so she would be okay. Nanaba pulled Petra into her arms and gently cradled her face. When the door to the room opened, Nanaba wasn’t even aware of it, or of how much time had passed.

“Nanaba?” It was Ymir. She rounded the bed and found Nanaba, bloodied and hurt, with Petra unconscious in her arms. “Oh fuck.” She quickly crouched down, worried, and forced Nanaba’s head up with a finger underneath her chin. “Are you okay?”

Nanaba managed to nod. “He got away.” She studied Ymir for any injuries, but found that this once Ymir was better off. All she had were a few scrapes and bruises, and a nasty cut on her forehead. But it had already healed. All that remained was a small pink scar and the dried blood around it.

“He?”

“Homura.”

“Jesus, fuck.”

“Is everyone else okay?”

Ymir collapse and pressed her back to the bed where Adrian still rested, mostly healed and oblivious to the chaos that had just exploded around him. “They came from the front,” Ymir explained. “Three of them. We managed to cut them up a bit, but I think they purposefully lost. After what I experienced with them there is no way that they would have just stopped and run off like that.”

The others piled into the room then, everyone nursing a gash, bruise or a broken bone. At least it didn’t seem like anyone was seriously injured, but they all looked like they had just gotten their ass handed to them. The worst was Nanaba, and most of it wasn’t even her blood. Nanaba told them what had happened with her, and Ymir was the one that had led her into the bathroom of Adrian’s room to wash the blood from her and apply something to the wounds. Ymir could barely do much before Nanaba hurried back to Petra. The young woman had just woken, and the rest had been explaining what had happened.

“Nanaba!” Petra exclaimed, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I’m so glad that you’re okay!”

Nanaba collapsed against her, trembling. “I’m so sorry.”

Ymir could not stomach watching them. So she looked to Adrian, but then her eyes widened when the old man’s weary eyes looked back, and he opened his mouth as if to speak. “Nanaba!” Ymir yelled, pointing. “He’s awake!”

Nanaba shot up in alarm, and she noticed quickly that Adrian really was awake. He still looked weary, but she smiled and tried to lift his hand. “Adrian?” Nanaba sat down by him, eyes wide. Her heart still pounded, and she could not believe the turn of events this day had taken. “How do you feel?”

The first sound Adrian made was a chuckle. It was soft enough that only Petra didn’t hear it, and it put all the cynans to ease that he would be fine. “Like I’m supposed to be dead,” he croaked. “But it looks like you all aren’t any better off than me.”

Nanaba still had blood soaked in her clothes, and everything was all still so fresh. “You won’t believe what just happened.”

Adrian managed to place his hand over hers. He was glad that everyone was in the room, though he felt his heart constrict when he noticed all of their injuries. His questions would wait for later. For now he had something vital to say.

“The day I asked you all to gather,” he started. His grip was shaky and weak, so Nanaba gently took his hand and rubbed her thumb over his wrinkled skin. “It was to tell you that Krista’s co-workers are the lycans.” He paused and waited for reactions, but none came. His stomach sank. “But I assume you already know. Before I ask what happened, Nanaba, I need to tell you something.” Sorrow filled his eyes, and of all the things he could have told her, Nanaba had expected this the least. “The leader of the enemy.” His gaze pierced through her, and she swallowed. Petra pressed close for comfort, but it didn’t do much to ease Nanaba’s panic. At the back of her mind, she already knew what he would say. “It’s Liache. She has come here to see me fall, and she has targeted everyone around me.”

It was like the world had suddenly stopped, and Nanaba felt the phantom sensation of claws slowly crawling down her skin, of a voice thick like honey but dangerous like bees whispering in her ear.

_“You’re weak, Nana. So endure the pain to be strong. My family did it to me. I’ll do it to you.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those not following me on tumblr, I need to mention that I am currently sick as hell. I spent the entirety of yesterday sleeping. Unconscious. The. Whole. Day. And so, with chapter 18 not finished yet and my condition only improved by about 10%, I dunno when the next update will be. I will try, I really will, but I doubt I will do more than lay in bed sick as you won’t believe, watching The L Word and crying over fictional lesbians. Besides that, I do hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Comments are always appreciated! ^^


	18. Chapter 18

They were glad for the darkness around them. Even though their injuries had already healed, they were exhausted and the beating of the sun would have tortured them. Homura took the lead, trudging ahead through thick vegetation. Behind him three of his packmates followed, but they were not as quiet.

“What was the fucking point of that?” Revy snarled, rubbing at the dried blood on her arm. “We literally went there to get our asses kicked.”

“Liache has a plan,” Alphard assured her. She was just as displeased, though, because out of them all she had the least amount of bloodlust. She only wanted to see the end result of Liache’s meticulous planning. Though now she was starting to wonder if perhaps Liache was straying from her plans, or if there were any plans to begin with.

“And how the fucking shit was that aiding our dumb leader’s plans?” Revy asked.

“Shut the fuck up already,” Kage growled. She sent Revy a furious glare. “You’ve been complaining the entire fucking time.”

Homura paused and waited for the others behind him to stop as well. They did, and then he turned and gave them each a long, hard stare. “Say one more word and I will rip your spines out from your mouths.”

Revy and Kage both went red with rage, and it was apparent that they were about to start a brawl, as they usually did, but then Homura swiftly turned and started walking again. They were close, and he would not anger Liache by hurting her toys more than was needed.

“Don’t be stupid,” Alphard hissed at them. “Just shut up and follow.”

Alphard followed Homura then, and she missed the crude gestures that both Revy and Kage flung her way. They were shaking with rage, but actually took the advice and silently trudged back with them. In the distance a grand, old house poked out at the top of a hill, neighboured by a waterfall. Seeing the place made them all sigh in relief, because they had run hours away and then hours back. They could finally rest.

It was a lot cooler inside than out, and Revy immediately collapsed on the nearest piece of furniture when the door slammed behind them. “Thank fuck, we’re back.”

Kage rolled her eyes and decided to head to her room to clean up and change before going to sleep. She did not care what the others did, and if Liache had need for her, the leader would call her.

Homura immediately made for the stairs. Liache had occupied the master bedroom, and when Homura approached it, he paused upon noticing that Alphard was following and then that muffled gasps and groans were emanating from within the room. Homura swallowed thickly and decided to ignore Alphard at his feet, and then he opened Liache’s door without knocking and stepped inside. He was not surprised at what he had just walked in on.

On Liache’s large bed, Rui and Riza were both chained to the headboard of the bed, naked and bared, with bloody bite marks littering their bodies. Liache had her hips fitted between Rui’s thighs, and she paused her thrusting to look at Homura in surprise.

“You’re back early,” she observed. Rui writhed and released a whine beneath her. Liache looked back to Rui and grinned at the pain she saw on her face. “Hush,” she husked softly, and leaned forward to distract the distraught woman with a surprisingly slow kiss. She lifted a hand to indicate that Homura could continue while she was busy, and then she continued thrusting again, revelling in the strangled moans that Rui released into her mouth.

“We, um, we did as you asked,” Homura reported. “We made it appear like a planned attack and then retreated when we gave them the upper hand.”

Liache pulled away from the kiss and lifted herself with her arms, giving her the space and position to harden the force of her thrusts. Rui could only clench her teeth and brace for each time Liache slammed into her. But she loved it, and not one ounce of care or embarrassment entered her while Homura watched. After all, Liache was enjoying her, not him. It was a glorious feeling.

“And Nanaba?” she asked. “Did you kill her?”

Homura looked down at his feet, uncomfortable. He felt fury and shame fill his chest and clenched his hands tightly. “Was I supposed to? You… you told me not to.”

Liache laughed and lifted herself. She suddenly pulled out of Rui, ignoring the blue-haired woman’s cry of disappointment, and roughly flipped her onto her stomach. Luckily Rui’s arms did not twist out of place, but there was definitely discomfort as they were pulled into a position they shouldn’t be. But Liache didn’t care. She penetrated her again with one large hand clamped down on her hip, and then she ran her claws down the length of Rui’s back, leaving thick, red lines that spilled blood. “No you weren’t,” she answered evenly. She used her hand on Rui’s hip to move her body against her, and then leaned over to lick at her blood. “If you had killed her I would have killed you.” She paused to turn her head and meet Homura’s eyes. “Which would be a shame, because I’m fond of you.”

Homura felt elation at the comment, even though his chest burnt at having to watch the scene before him. He saw Rui turn her head to look at him, and when she smirked, he reddened with anger.

“Get out,” Liache told him. “Clean yourself up and get something to eat. I will speak with you when I’m done here.” She looked to Alphard, conveying with her gaze that the command applied to her too.

Alphard lifted a brow, highly amused at the current situation. She wondered what Liache had done to Riza to have her look so bruised and satisfied. She had probably been the first to be fucked. Alphard shivered remembering the many times Liache had taken her, and then she bowed her head slightly in respect and left with Homura. He was huffy and he did not look at her as he stalked to his room. She watched him with fascination, and then headed down to see if Revy was possibly in the mood to release some sexual frustration. Seeing Liache had awakened her desires, and she was never one to keep them to herself long enough to squirm.

When Liache was finally finished taking all the pleasure she had wanted, she left Rui and Riza to sleep on her bed, and made her way to Alphard’s room. She knew that Homura was sore with her, so she avoided the eventual comfort she would have to give him. For now there was something much more important. Liache grinned when Alphard’s door opened before she touched the handle, and Revy walked right into her. The brunette was about to swear and complain, but then she swallowed her words and lifted her hands to hide the bites and bruises on her neck.

“L-Liache!” she exclaimed, overcome with panic. “I’m so sorry.”

Liache pulled Revy’s hand away from her neck and touched the marks on her skin. She grinned, wide enough that Revy could see her teeth. Liache never hid them and they were always out, whether a situation was calm or otherwise. The others always wondered if Liache even knew how to hide them anymore. “Had fun I see,” she commented. Revy swallowed and nodded, and then she gasped as Liache pulled her in tightly and dipped her backwards, lips pressing to her bruised neck. “Take your pleasure from each other,” she whispered, running her tongue over a fresh bite. “But don’t forget to whom you belong.” She released Revy and then watched in amusement as she nodded furiously, turned and then bolted down the hallway to her own room. As she entered Alphard’s room and shut the door behind her, she chuckled and straightened the collar of her red button-up shirt.

“You enjoy scaring us, don’t you?” Alphard asked. She was in the bed, naked and lazy, with no clear intent to get up for Liache’s benefit. However, she had a better understanding of how Liache worked and what would upset her, so she held no fear that her actions would cause anger. Actually, it made Liache even more amused than she was, and the woman went over to a chair that had been situated by the large window in preparation for this moment.

“It has a certain enjoyment, yes,” Liache agreed. She clasped her hands together and enjoyed the sight when Alphard eventually climbed out of bed and went over to her pile of clothing. Liache tilted her head when Alphard bent over, and then she bit her lip and flicked her eyes up to Alphard’s face when the dark haired lycan turned around. She had an envelope in her hand, and all amusement drained from Liache’s face when she recognized the seal.

“As you had ordered,” Alphard said. She placed the envelope down on the table to Liache’s right, and then she retrieved a silk robe from her cupboard and took her time putting it on.

“Good work,” Liache said stiffly. She hesitated to, but grabbed the envelope and stood from the seat. She straightened her shirt and then made for the exit of the room, but paused just as she passed by Alphard. A sudden desire took her, and she slammed Alphard against the cupboard door, lifted her off of her feet and then sunk her teeth into Alphard’s tensed shoulder. The smaller lycan’s head fell back and she groaned in both pain and pleasure. A familiar tingle started at the lower part of her back, and then she felt Liache enter her soul, like a dark, burning hard caressing the very deepest parts of her. It was the most amazing feeling she had ever felt and she could never get enough of it. But it was over quickly, and Liache removed her teeth to lick the blood from them, and then she ran her lips along Alphard’s neck until she reached her ear. “Keep this up and you’ll become my favourite.”

Alphard managed to chuckle and then she trembled when Liache’s warmth left her. She swallowed down the cry for Liache to stay, and watched the powerful lycan leave her room. Sighing, she staggered back to her bed and collapsed on top of it.

Liache rolled her eyes to herself as she made her way to Homura’s room. The envelope still rested against her palm, but she was not yet ready to read it. So she stuffed it into her pocket to hide it, and then swung Homura’s door open. He was sitting in the darkest corner of the room, waiting. Liache closed the door behind her and then went over to sit on the corner of his bed.

“You did well today,” she told him softly. It was as if her words had suddenly confirmed something Homura had been searching for, because he stood quickly and collapsed by her feet. He rested his head on her lap, arms circling her waist. Homura loved the strong scent that always followed Liache, that _was_ Liache. It filled him with the strength he always lacked; made him feel as though by her side he could do anything.

“What are your plans now?”

Liache ran her hand through his hair, having learnt by now what comforted him when he was upset. She hated having to offer any sort of comfort, but Homura was valuable to her, and his infatuation made him much easier to manipulate. He was even aware of the fact that Liache manipulated him, but he did not mind simply because it was her. Liache had never imagined such loyalty before, and she revelled in it.

“Now we wait,” she told him. “We will act again soon.”

“When?”

Liache bit down on her tongue to prevent herself from shouting. Homura tested her patience more than he should, but she had to be patient and delicate. There was one way she could be violent, however, and she quickly jumped to that option to convey her frustration and anger to him. With a growl she lifted his face by the chin and then threw him over the shoulder. He landed on the bed with a surprised gasp, and then Liache was on him, shredding his clothes. She wrapped her hands around his throat and snarled.

“I have no time for your sensitivities,” she whispered.

Homura would have responded, but then she kissed him and he forgot everything he had been upset about. She always did that. Used her charms to clear his mind and get rid of his clouding emotions. His jealousy and sense of betrayal left him, because now she was enjoying him, no one else, and he clung to that knowledge like a lifeline.

Afterwards, when Liache had assuaged Homura’s emotional worries with nothing but pleasure of the flesh, she climbed out of bed and retrieved the letter from her pile of clothing. Homura was asleep, so he would not bother her, but she still went out onto the balcony to Homura’s room and finally opened the envelope. Within was nothing but a letter, and Liache rolled her eyes at herself.

“What else did I expect?”

She dropped the envelope and opened the neatly folded paper. It felt thick and luxurious between her fingertips and she recognized the scent attached to it. Her chest tightened slightly.

“ _Liache,_

_I will keep this short. We know what you are up to. It will only be a matter of time before we arrive at your location. If you run, we will find you again. Your arrogance knows no bounds but you are grappling at the very end of your rope now. I suggest that you evaluate your current situation and decide what is best for everyone. I did not give you a second chance to have you ruin it so badly. What have you been doing all these years? What is the purpose of all this murder?_

_Come on Li, stop this insanity. This is my final plea. I am training the Reiss child, and if she does not kill you, I’m sure another of your supposed victims will. I do not want to see you lowered into the ground in a casket. We’ve been through too much._

_Consider yourself carefully. I can only bend the rules so much._

-          _D”_

Liache tore the letter immediately and watched the pieces float with the wind. She leaned against the railing, dark eyes darkening further in anger. “Been through too much?” she uttered. “Don’t make me laugh.”

Had anyone been in the area, they would have seen two glowing orbs brighter than the sun, and with so much anger that they dripped with nothing but pure, evil, bloodlust.

XxX

Nanaba turned in her sleep, sweating, eyelids twitching frantically.

_“Come now,” Adrian said, smiling as gently as he could. “Don’t be afraid. You’re safe here.” Nanaba stood next to him, clutching onto his pants and waiting nervously. He had told her that she would be getting a new sister, but apparently she had been too scared to step inside of the house. Adrian had finally managed to convince her that she was safe, and Nanaba waited patiently, not sure what to expect. She was still so young at just the tender age of 5._

_“Promise?” a young, trembling voice spoke from the doorway._

_Adrian chuckled. “I promise. Come on child, come inside and greet your new family.” He continued to smile. When the girl eventually did step into the room, Adrian crouched down and opened his arms in welcome. “You will be treated well here.”_

_Nanaba stepped away from Adrian, her own tiny hands clasped together. Her big, blue eyes widened to saucers. “What’s her name?” she asked._

_“Liache,” Adrian answered. “Come on Liache, say hi to Nanaba.”_

_Nanaba studied the bruises all along Liache’s small face. Her hair was short and messy, like it had never been brushed, and her skin was covered in blots of black and purple bruises. Even one of her eyes held bruises and was swollen shut. Her lips were equally broken, cut and bloody. She seemed to struggle to walk, so Nanaba rushed to her and put her arms around Liache’s shivering body._

_“She’s seven,” Adrian told Nanaba. “So Liache will be your big sister.”_

_Nanaba marvelled at how small Liache was even though she was older. She could smell the difference between them too, and knew from Adrian’s stories that Liache was a different species. But she did not feel scared, since Adrian had assured her that Liache was just a victim, not a threat._

_“What happened to her?” Nanaba asked. She gently took Liache’s hand in her own, mortified when she felt broken fingers caked in blood. Without her control Nanaba suddenly began to cry, and Liache startled away from her, stumbling out of her hold and into the nearest corner. She collapsed and curled around herself, rocking back and forth, whispering words in a language that Nanaba did not understand. “Dada, why is she so hurt?” Nanaba wailed, hands lifting to cover her eyes._

_Adrian felt his heart sink. He pulled Nanaba to him and wiped the tears from her face. “Her family hurt her a lot,” he explained. “That is why she will live with us from now on. We need to help her get better and teach her that not everyone will hurt her.”_

_Nanaba nodded, determined to do just that. They tried to get Liache to uncurl herself but the girl refused, eventually sobbing painfully when Adrian tried to touch her. He decided to give her some space and let her grow more comfortable. So he focused on taking care of Nanaba while he patiently waited. Two days was all it took, and Liache collapsed from dehydration and exhaustion. Adrian quickly picked her up when she fell unconscious and took her to Nanaba’s room, where they would be sharing until they grew old enough to want to part. He gently put her in the bed and then fixed an IV to her arm, since he wasn’t sure if she would eat anytime soon. She was alarmingly thin, anyway, practically just skin and bones. She had barely been fed before Adrian had found her. Adrian wondered how a fragile seven year old had managed to survive such intense abuse for so long._

_When Liache woke up later on that day, she was alarmed to find that she was not in the corner. She threw the blanket off of her and sat up, checking for any new injuries or signs of violation, and sighed deeply when there was none. She pressed her small, broken hands to her chest and focused on breathing. Her ribs had finally healed, and it was amazing to be able to breathe without pain again._

_“Dada won’t hurt you,” Nanaba announced from her bed. Liache jumped in fright and moved as far away as she could, back into a corner. “You don’t have to be scared.” Nanaba hopped off of her bed and climbed onto Liache’s. She held her hand out, blue eyes wide and innocent. “We want to keep you safe. You need to eat, Li. And bath. Dada can’t heal you if you won’t let him.”_

_Liache shivered and hid her face, too afraid to look at Nanaba directly. She had never dealt with anyone her age before. Only adults had ever occupied her time. So she convinced herself to uncover her face and look at Nanaba. She was small, but stronger than Liache was by a milestone. Her blonde hair was short, much shorter than Liache’s. Her face held scars, though, and Liache found more along Nanaba’s neck and arms._

_It took a while, but Nanaba eventually gained Liache’s trust and coaxed her out of the corner. She then held onto her hand and spoke to her, telling her anything and everything she could think of. She told Liache about Adrian, who she knew wasn’t her real dad but she called him that because he felt like what a dad should be. When Adrian come to the room cautiously, he found them on Liache’s bed, giggling. It took his breath away to hear Liache giggle for the first time, or make any sort of noise. But she quickly retreated to the corner again when he stepped into the room, and Nanaba slumped in sadness. Even at such a young age, Nanaba recognized how frightened Liache was of just an adult’s presence._

_“Are you two ready for a bath?” Adrian asked. He did not step further into the room and remained at the doorway. “I’ll draw the bath and then you can take her to the bath with you,” he told Nanaba. “Can you do that for me?”_

_Nanaba nodded vigorously. “Can we have bubble bath?”_

_Adrian chuckled. “Not today, little one. Maybe next time. Liache still has too many wounds and it will hurt her.”_

_Nanaba gasped and covered her mouth in shock. “Sorry Li,” she directed at Liache. “I didn’t ask on purpose. I didn’t know it could hurt you.”_

_Liache found some courage to nod at Nanaba, just to let the little girl know that she was not mad at her. Adrian left then, and when he had filled the bath he called down the hall and then left to make dinner for them. Nanaba expertly coaxed Liache out of the corner again, and then she took her small hand and led her down the hall to the bathroom. Liache looked at her feet the entire time, and if Nanaba hadn’t been so attentive then she would have walked into the wall. But Nanaba got her there safely, and then she helped Liache strip out of her dirty clothes._

_“When last did you bath?” Nanaba asked innocently. Liache was so pale, but she looked tan thanks to the layers of dirt and blood on her skin. Liache looked up in alarm, her scarlet tinged brown eyes widening in fright. She seemed at a loss for words, and Nanaba realized that Liache had probably never had a bath before. Her eyes welled up with tears again, but she held them back and smiled to reassure her new sibling. “Don’t worry. Just climb in. The water will be warm but it won’t hurt too much.” There was a small, plastic step ladder for the children to get into the bath themselves, Nanaba climbed in first and then she carefully helped Liache in afterwards._

_At first Liache refused to sit down, and she retreated to the corner of the bath to hide her face. Nanaba took her hand and gently pulled her down._

_“It’s okay Li,” she said. “It’s just water. Let me clean you. Please? I won’t hurt you, promise.”_

_Liache finally looked back to Nanaba, and then she nodded and carefully sat down in the warm water. It did sting, because she still had healing wounds on her back, but otherwise it was actually quite pleasant. Nanaba immediately went to cleaning Liache’s skin, very gently running a cloth along her limbs. She mimicked the way Adrian washed her, and layers of dirt came off of Liache and clouded the bath._

_Nanaba furrowed her brows but did not comment. Eventually Liache’s front was clean and pale again, and Nanaba had to do her back. So she very gently asked her to turn around, and when Liache did, Nanaba had to hold her tears back again. There was barely any smooth skin left. Lash upon lash covered Liache’s tiny back and the young girl began to shiver with tears. Nanba could not clean it, because she knew that the wounds would bleed if she did._

_“Li,” Nanaba started softly. She turned Liache around again and gently cupped her cheeks in her hands. “They hurt you really bad, didn’t they?”_

_Liache felt her tears string down her face in thick streams. She nodded but did not say a word._

_“Li, please let dada heal you.” Nanaba pulled Liache in and hugged her. The body in her arms shivered, and Liache was so, so tiny and scared. Nanaba had tried to ignore it, but it was difficult not to see the way Liache’s ribs stuck out at her sides, how her arms and legs were so thin she could see the outline of her bones. “I promise if dada hurts you I’ll hit him myself.”_

_Liache giggled softly, and then she buried her face against Nanaba’s throat and nodded. “Okay,” she said softly. There wasn’t much more she could say. So Nanaba continued with their bath duties, washing Liache’s hair, being careful as she did so, and then washing herself afterwards. Liache was so light that afterwards Nanaba picked her up entirely to get her out of the bath, and then she shivered violently while Nanaba quickly dried and dressed her with new clothes Adrian had bought._

_“There,” Nanaba said, dressed and dry herself. She smiled brightly. “All clean! Now dada needs to look at your back and then we can eat. Is that okay? Can you do that?” She held her hand out, waiting and expectant._

_Liache had never been shown such kindness before. For a long moment she merely stared at Nanaba’s small but sure hand. A deep, sorrowful sadness consumed her heart, and then Liache began to cry. Her swollen eye hurt but she ignored it. She clutched at the clothes that hung off of her skinny body, and she cried her heart out. Nanaba immediately pulled her into a hug. Adrian found them that way, and he picked them both up in his panic. He was surprised when Liache grabbed the front of his shirt and wet it with her tears, but he smiled and held his own tears back as well._

_“Well done, little one,” he said to Nanaba. He kissed her forehead, and then he gently rocked them both until Liache cried herself out and fell asleep in his arms. Nanaba was just as tired, so he took them both to their room and rested them down on Nanaba’s bed. He knew that Liache would have nightmares, and she would need Nanaba when she woke. Just before Nanaba fell asleep she informed him that Liache needed healing, so he lifted the back of the little girl’s shirt to see the wounds._

_Adrian pressed a hand to his mouth and shut his eyes tightly. Anger and pain washed through him, but then he pushed it away and used every bit of energy that he had to heal the infected, red wounds on the tiny girl’s back. She did not even stir, not even from the pain. Adrian knew that pain had been the only thing she had ever known._

XxX

It was a memory, not a dream, but it consumed Nanaba’s thoughts as she slept. At the end of it she woke up with a start. Her chest heaved and she felt the remains of tears on her cheeks. She got up slowly, panting, and threw the blanket from her body. Petra was fast asleep beside her, and Nanaba sent her a look. Just the sight of Petra made Nanaba feel the slightest bit better, but it was not enough to completely take away her pain.

 _Why did I have to remember that?_ she thought, clutching at her chest. She felt the heat on her skin and hurriedly pulled the shirt off of her body. _Why? It’s been so long, damnit._

She felt too hot, constricted. Her chest tightened up and for a long while she gasped for breath, clutching tightly at the mattress underneath her. Eventually Petra felt the panic running through her and woke up.

“Nanaba?” She quickly wrapped her arms around her tall blonde lover, swallowing thickly. “I can feel your panic. Please calm down.”

Nanaba tried to, but it was difficult. Her body would not listen to her. Her breathing increased to a point where she was inhaling so quickly that she felt faint. Petra hurried off of the bed and crouched down in front of her.

“Nanaba! Look at me.” Nanaba did, eyes wide and panicked. Her hands were turning white with the force of her grip, her heart was pounding too quickly and she could no longer breathe. “Concentrate and follow my instructions. Take my hand and squeeze it.” Petra held her hand up and Nanaba quickly took it. She was still gasping, pupils dilating, shoulders heaving. “Okay, now focus on my breathing. Breathe with me. Force yourself if you have to.”

Nanaba nodded and then she closed her eyes and ignored the pain and panic in her body. With her enhanced hearing she could easily catch Petra’s inhales and exhales, so she latched onto that and then forced herself to breathe along. Petra breathed slowly, evenly, and after a moment Nanaba felt herself calm down. Her heart slowed and her lungs began to work calmly on their own again. Nanaba began to shiver, and then she sucked in a deep, shuddering breath and slumped forward into Petra.

“Wh-where did you learn that?”

Petra gently rubbed Nanaba’s back and placed a kiss on her shoulder. “Krista used to have panic attacks when she was little. We never knew why. I learnt how to help her out of them because she never wanted me to tell her mother.”

Nanaba nodded. She was still too afraid to move away. Petra had no choice but to move them herself and then she had Nanaba lay next to her, with the blonde’s head on her shoulder. She kept her breathing even and continued to caress Nanaba’s back. “Just keep breathing evenly,” she suggested softly. “Stay calm and relaxed.”

Nanaba did so, easily synching their breathing. It was even easier for her considering their connection. Even her heartbeat began to mimic Petra’s, and it completely calmed her down. Petra wanted to ask what had happened, but did not want to trigger another panic attack, so she quietly comforted her mate, and then eventually Nanaba fell asleep again.

XxX

Ymir sat outside, where she had once sat beside Krista what felt like so long ago. No one trained in the back area, not at the moment, so Ymir was alone with her thoughts. All she could think about was Krista, and in her hand was the photo the mysterious “D” had given her. Absolutely nothing made sense. Ymir had just barely been introduced to this new world that would be her life, and then all these bizarre things happened and her girlfriend was taken by no apparent enemy. After the Homura stunt, though, Ymir did not know who to trust. At least she could completely believe in Nanaba and Adrian, and though she did not know them that long, a deep, instinctual part of her told her that they were good people and that they would not betray her. That same part had been suspicious of Krista’s co-workers, so Ymir knew that it was something she could trust.

Krista…

 _Where are you?_ she wondered. She sighed and looked at the photo again, running her thumb over Krista’s cheek. She could still vividly remember what it felt like to actually touch Krista’s face. Her cheeks were always so cute and puffy, and Ymir would often tease her just to get Krista to pout so that her cheeks would puff up even more, and then she would melt and act like a complete moron. Not to mention how warm they were, and how Ymir just loved to run her fingertips over Krista’s smooth, warm skin.

_Krista…_

The sliding door behind her slid open and she knew that it was Raiden before the redhead even spoke. Having the kid around her so often when she had been recovering had given her a new ability to sense her before she alerted anyone of her presence. Ymir didn’t count it as a special ability, and it made her wonder if Krista being gone had driven her crazy.

“Enjoying the view?” Raiden asked nervously. She rubbed her sweaty palms on her pants and Ymir heard the scrape of her skin against the fabric. She cringed.

“Are you serious?”

Raiden gulped. “Fuck, sorry. I just… You looked lonely.”

“Well I’m certainly not having a fucking party right now.”

Sighing, Raiden walked over to Ymir and sat down on the step beside her. “You really miss her, huh?”

Instead of retorting sarcastically or yelling something mean, Ymir dropped her head and nodded. “It hurts,” she confessed softly. Of all the times to pretend, now wasn’t one of them.

“It’ll be okay, you know,” Raiden told her. “I mean, definitely not now because you have to be going through hell. But I have a gut feeling that things will work out fine.”

“Wish I had your optimism.”

Raiden scooted a little closer and then even dared to put an arm around Ymir’s shoulders. She was surprised that it wasn’t violently shrugged off. “It’s not optimism, it’s an instinct. I’ve always been able to tell when something major is going to happen.”

Ymir snorted. “That why you went in to fight a wolf even though you’d lose?”

Raiden cringed. “Okay, I was wrong that one time.”

“Or when you approached Krista without a thought of her aggressive mate just across the property?”

Raiden sighed and pulled her arm away. “Okay, you’re right, I have shitty judgement sometimes.”

“Sometimes?”

“Not all the time!” Raiden stood and leaned against the railing of the stairs so that she could have a proper look at Ymir’s face. The brunette wasn’t as pale as she had been and she had at least started to eat again, so that was a good sign. Ymir’s condition had improved much since the fight with the hunters, which struck Raiden as odd, but she did not question it. She had a hunch that something else had happened that day, but had no illusions that anyone would tell her if something had. “So,” she continued, awkwardly swinging her arms. “How is Nana doing?”

“’Nana’?”

“What? It’s easier than saying Nanaba.”

“She’s been having nightmares, but Petra says she’ll be okay.”

“Man, who knew that she had history with the enemy?”

Ymir wondered why Raiden had decided to seek her out for conversation. She wasn’t the friendliest of people, and there were certainly others that Raiden could have spent her time with. Hell, even Berik was better than her. Though, Ymir remembered, Berik was out with Hanji on their shift of guard duty. Perhaps that was why. Maybe Ymir was just unlucky with having been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“Is that…?” Raiden shielded her eyes from the sun, squinting into the distance. Her golden eyes flicked side to side but Ymir looked there too and saw nothing.

“What is it?”

“It’s… I think it’s…” She continued scanning the trees, now sniffing the air. She stepped down the stairs and then gasped loudly. “I was right! It’s Hanji and Berik! They’re covered in blood!”

Ymir still didn’t see a damn thing, or smell the blood for that matter. Raiden took off running and Ymir had no choice but to chase after her. When they’d run for five minutes, Ymir finally caught the pungent irony scent of blood, and she could not believe how Raiden had been able to sense it from such a distance. The redhead was Alpha born and all, but Ymir hadn’t really thought it did much. She wondered if maybe Raiden was withholding a lot of her ability.

“What happened?” Raiden asked when they came to the pair. Berik was limping badly with Hanji holding onto him, keeping him from falling.

“Male lycan,” Hanji gasped out. She too was covered in bruises and blood. A lot of it was hers mixed with Berik’s and the both of them looked battered. But Ymir couldn’t find it in herself to care. The only male lycan that could have attacked them was one white haired man, and Ymir’s blood boiled at just the idea of him being close.

“How long ago did he attack?” Ymir asked. She stopped them by putting her hand against Hanji’s chest. “Which way did he go?”

Hanji immediately caught on to what Ymir planned to do. “Ymir, no. There might be more off them out there hoping you’ll follow. This is their plan.”

Ymir sucked in a deep breath, and then she exhaled it slowly, removed her hand and then punched the nearest tree. “Tell me which fucking direction he went in!” Her eyes glowed brightly, angrily, and both Hanji and Berik knew that they could not stop her.

“South,” Berik uttered.

“Twenty minutes ago,” Hanji concluded.

Ymir was running before she could even hear Hanji tell her to be safe. All that ran through her mind was that Homura was nearby, and she owed him one hell of a kick in the balls for the shit he had pulled. No one, absolutely fucking **no one** hurt Krista the way he had and walked away without consequence. Ymir began to see red.

She followed Hanji and Berik’s scent until she found Homura’s, and then she went ballistic in her rage and shifted in a bellow of steam. She followed him blindly, snarling and growling as her heavy paws pounded on the ground. Ymir did not even remember the picture of Krista that had been in her pocket.

Behind her Ymir suddenly heard following footsteps, and they were rapid enough to keep up with her. She continued to follow the scent anyway, deciding only to attack her follower should they get any closer. Stopping or delaying now was out of the question. Ymir didn’t know how much time she had left to find the bastard and tear his face to pieces.

When she finally found him, he was washing the blood off of his hands and face in a small pond. He clearly hadn’t expected anyone to follow him, or perhaps he was just that good of an actor. When Ymir stopped where the trees ended, she released a heavy breath and growled long and loud. He straightened quickly and grabbed for his shirt, spinning around in surprise. A wind rushed past them, and Ymir caught a familiar scent coming from behind her.

 _Ymir, stay calm,_ Raiden told her carefully, stepping up beside her and growling at Homura as well. _I won’t try to stop you._

_Why are you here?_

_I decided that if I couldn’t stop you, I’d join you._

_This isn’t your fight!_

Raiden directed her growl towards Ymir, and there was a strange heavy authority there that made Ymir falter and cease her loud noises. Homura watched in amusement, wiping the last of the blood from his skin and putting his shirt back on.

“It’s never a good idea to take your eyes off of the enemy,” he informed them. He crouched down again then, turning his back, and rinsed his hands off one more time.

Ymir couldn’t stand it. She lunged for him, but found herself tumbling to the ground when Raiden had jumped into her just at the right moment. From the trees two more lycans sprang into action, and if Raiden hadn’t been so quick, Ymir would have been dead.

 _I told you to stay calm!_ Raiden yelled at her.

They quickly got to their feet, panting and growling. Homura was now blatantly ignoring them. When he finished, he wiped his hands off on his pants and then he started to walk away. “Do whatever,” he told his two companions. “I’ll let her know what kept you.”

Ymir snarled and made to attack him, but one of the wolves—Rui, by her scent—interrupted. Ymir just barely managed to dodge her paw. She felt infuriated that these goddamn werewolves kept getting in her way. So she let go of all logic and gunned for Rui this time. At first it was merely a game of swing and dodge. Ymir used all of her energy just trying to land a hit, and Rui effortlessly dodged each one, but then she grew angry and imagined herself to be stronger than the strongest goddamn lycan in existence. When her muscles physically reacted by hardening and growing, Ymir finally landed her first hit. Rui was so surprised that she fell flat on her face, releasing a howl.

By Raiden’s side her enemy—Riza—turned around sharply in surprise. It was all the distraction the redhead needed, and Raiden managed to slice her paws all across Riza’s chest. She dodged Riza’s paws after that, and then she and Ymir stumbled into each other, panting.

 _Finally,_ Ymir thought.

_We actually get them! I think it’s about time we show them that we’re not pups._

_Fuck yeah._

_And maybe…_ Raiden sounded smug, even for her. Ymir would have taken the time to ask, but the lycans were slowly moving closer. _Maybe I should finally use some of that extra power I have._

Ymir decided not to ask, and she attacked when Rui came closer. To her shock, behind her Raiden gained the advantage in seconds, and she was slicing so much lycan flesh that Ymir’s nose stung badly from the scent of blood. Raiden beating Riza distracted Rui enough that Ymir managed to get a good few clawed attacks in, and then Rui practically turned and ran with her tail between her legs. Ymir howled in victory, and then she turned to help with the remaining enemy, only to watch Raiden effortlessly head-butt her from under the jaw, smack a paw into her shoulder and then send Riza crashing into a nearby tree. When Riza got up, she did not look like she wanted to run, but then a loud howl ripped through the air and Riza hurried in the direction both Homura and Rui had gone. Ymir and Raiden made to chase them, but then a familiar howl sounded to the other side and Nanaba appeared by the trees, panting harshly.

 _What the hell were you two thinking?_ she bellowed, walking around the area, sniffing at all the blood. Her heart was pounding because that howl before her own, she knew that howl, but she tried her best to ignore the sudden panic that ripped through her chest. _Get back to the fucking cabin **now.**_

Raiden and Ymir did so, but they bumped shoulders in place of bumping fists, and silently enjoyed their victory. When they got back Adrian had a very long speech for them. He set up a new barrier around the house while he was at it, and then he began the process of healing all four cynans that had come into contact with the wolves. While he healed them, he told them how stupid they were. Nanaba agreed with every word, and she echoed his words whenever something struck a chord with her.

Ymir looked absolutely unremorseful, but Raiden had the decency to feel ashamed. She apologised profusely, but due to using her enhanced physical abilities to such an extent earlier, she had not been able to stay awake long. Adrian had to heal her first, and then Nanaba took the young cynan to her bed in the lounge area.

Adrian sighed deeply as he healed the last of Ymir’s wounds. She would have new scars on her arms and a few on her ribs. At least there were none on her face. He had only been awake for a couple of weeks, recovering more fully now, and already he was put to work to keep his cynans in order.

“Really,” he tsked, shaking his head for the millionth time. “What were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t,” Ymir spat. She shifted uncomfortably and waited for the cuts on her arms to heal. “Are you done yet?”

“Attacking the enemy so up front will not bring her back.” Adrian finished his healing session and then tapped Ymir once on the knee. “And don’t go losing things so easily.” He dropped the picture of Krista in Ymir’s lap, and the brunette suddenly went silent. “We will find her,” he promised. “In time. For now I need us all to regain strength.”

“They attacked us,” Ymir whispered. She brushed the dirt from the picture and held it in her hand. “I was just…”

“Just letting your anger control you?” Adrian limped over to his bed and then settled down on it. “I heard what happened while I was out. I can’t imagine what you must be feeling, but you need to realize that these attacks are aimed at me. The more they hurt everyone around me, the more they hurt me directly. Don’t go and run right into their claws.”

Ymir slammed her fist down on the bedside table. “I know.” She clenched her jaws together. “I know, alright? Stop telling me.”

Adrian found that his strength had left him, so he left his crutches at his bedside and struggled into bed. Sighing, he pulled the blanket over himself and then beckoned Ymir over. “All will be revealed soon,” he said, smiling for the first time since he had woken. “Your mate is safe.”

Ymir lost all traces of her anger. “How do you know that? Do you know where Krista is?”

Adrian lifted a hand. “I can only hope that my order was followed and that she was taken somewhere safe. I cannot promise it.”

Ymir furrowed her brows. She suddenly remembered that odd letter she had received, and then she recalled the message she was to relay to Adrian. The old man seemed a lot more involved than he let on, but this time it genuinely seemed like he did not know. “I, um, after I ran away for a bit, the hunters that brought me back gave me a letter from some person called ‘D’. They told me to thank you for your loyalty and stuff.”

“Ah,” Adrian chuckled, rubbing at his tired eyes. “She never forgets to thank me.”

Ymir lifted a brow at the small revelation, but said no more. Adrian was clearly tired, so she left him to sleep. Nanaba was in the lounge, resting with Raiden who had probably forced her into a cuddle. The blonde had no choice but to hold Raiden until she released her, but the redhead was already fast asleep. Ymir laughed but Nanaba glared at her.

“I’m all cute and cuddly now,” Nanaba told her quietly, “But just wait until I’m free. I’m bashing your head into the nearest wall.”

Ymir rolled her eyes. “Sure thing, Nana.”

“I’m serious.”

Ymir paused before passing by. Exhaling, she rolled her eyes and then turned to give Nanaba a look. “I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally some victory for the cynan side! I think they really needed to kick a little ass. Also, hell yeah I managed to finish this chapter in time! Internet has been crappy all day, though, and I can happily say that my health is improving. I’m not 100% yet but I hope to get there in the next few days. Tomorrow I write my learner’s test, for a learner driver’s license, so I kinda have to study today. Dunno when I’ll be able to start and finish chapter 19. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and if you have any questions, stop by my tumblr and ask! I will literally answer anything if it does not reveal too much. Comments are always appreciated ^^


	19. Chapter 19

Guard dog. That’s what she felt like. Nothing more and nothing less. Even though her mate was out there somewhere, doing god knows what, god knows where, Ymir was stuck doing fucking guard duty. It felt like everyone else knew what was going on besides her. She had asked Adrian but he hadn’t been forthcoming. He seemed to know who “D” was, but refused to reveal anything. Why was he being so difficult? What irked Ymir most was the look of sadness that took him whenever she asked. If he felt so damn sad at keeping information from her, then why do it?

A lot more time had passed since Krista had been taken. It was the fourth month anniversary of the day—Ymir kept count. So she was especially pissed off at having to run around the property. Depression became her friend. Ymir knew that Nanaba and the others did care, but sometimes it felt like they really didn’t. All they did now was wait. But wait for what?

 _Ymir!_ Nanaba ran up to their group—Ymir, Raiden and Mike—and all three cynans stopped. _Adrian sent me to call your group back._

 _Call us back?_ Ymir asked, heart pounding. _Is something happening?_

Nanaba’s blue eyes flicked away quickly, and she shrugged her large shoulders. Without answering she turned and ran off back towards the cabin, the other three weredogs following her heels.

Ymir’s heart squeezed painfully in her chest as she thought that maybe Adrian was about to explain things to them. Would he reveal where Krista was? Ymir had a suspicion that he knew. He had been acting weird that morning anyway.

 _Hey,_ Raiden spoke up only to Ymir. _Think we’re finally gonna act?_

Ymir huffed. _I think Adrian might finally squeal._

_Huh?_

_Tell us what’s going on,_ Ymir explained, rolling her eyes. _He’s been hiding things from us._

_Well, if he has don’t you think it’s for our own protection? All Adrian does is to protect us._

Ymir could concede to the fact, but Adrian’s secrets had led to almost losing his life and Krista being taken. If he had simply told them over the phone that day, maybe asked Nanaba to accompany him immediately, then none of this would have been happening. Ymir would have been lazing about in bed with Krista.

Four months. Ymir was losing her mind.

The run back was quick. Nanaba seemed to be in a hurry, but she also seemed as confused and curious as the rest. Ymir could tell by the bunching of her jaw muscles. It looked like not even Nanaba knew what Adrian wanted their return for, and from the extra tension in her shoulders, she was worrying about it.

Adrian sat outside by the porch steps, near the area where everyone always trained. He had a wooden cane resting next to him that he used to walk, since his injuries still pained him. He did not want Nanaba worrying over him all the time, and insisted on tending to himself. His face looked calm and resolute when the other cynans returned, and Ymir couldn’t figure out what this man was thinking. He could be such an enigma sometimes, and it pissed Ymir off.

Maeve stood protectively to Adrian’s left side, while Ilse sat next to him on his left. Hanji, Berik and Rico stood in from of Adrian in their human forms, patiently waiting, and Adrian only perked when the others paused by Hanji and shifted.

“We’re all here,” Nanaba announced. Even on two legs, the tension in her body was obvious. Ymir snuck a glance and swallowed lightly. If Nanaba was this nervous, then what the hell did Adrian have to say?

“I apologize for interrupting your duties,” Adrian began. He didn’t seem bothered, but he had a small glint of concern in his eyes. Ymir noticed it for a fleeting moment, and wondered if she had simply seen things, but knew that it had to have been there. “But I have called you all here for an urgent matter. We will be having a visitor.”

Ymir narrowed her eyes, but found that she wasn’t the only one displeased with the announcement. The only one not making a fuss was Nanaba, and the stark realization on her face led Ymir to believe that she had just figured out what was going on.

“Who?” Raiden asked. She was brimming with energy. “An enemy? An ally?”

Adrian chuckled at her excitement. “I will not explain further. When she arrives, she will explain everything in full. I was asked to keep full discretion, and I’m sorry if any of you have grown to distrust me because of it.”

“Why?” Berik piped up.

Adrian sighed. “You will not understand until our visitor arrives. Just remain calm when she gets here. And please, do not attack. That would only worsen our case.”

“When will she get here?” Rico asked.

“And why would we attack?” Hanji added.

Maeve opened her mouth to respond this time, worried about Adrian’s health if he was to stress, but paused when all of them heart the sound of car tires on gravel. It was down the driveway, so Adrian couldn’t hear it, but he sensed the reactions and knew that their visitor had arrived. Petra hurried out then with clothes in her arms. She had to nudge some of the naked cynans until they noticed her and took their clothes. Ymir was the last to dress—just a shirt and a pair of shorts—and when she straightened, all of them stiffened. A low growl filled the area.

A lycan.

“Remember, she is an ally,” Adrian warned. “Despite what your noses might tell you. Come, we must greet her inside.” Maeve helped the old man up and then everyone followed him inside. If not for their trust in him, many of them would have either run away, or launched to attack. The car outside hadn’t even parked yet, but the scent was so pungent, they were so accustomed to it, that it was impossible to miss. And this time it seemed, the wolf wasn’t trying to hide her scent.

They all sat down in the lounge area where some of them slept, brimming with energy, growling softly when they could not control it. Ymir sat beside Raiden on a two-seater couch, and she strained her hearing with everyone else.

The car finally drove up to the cabin, wheels crunching heavily on the gravel. The breaks squeaked slightly—inaudible to humans—when the wolf stopped the car, and then Ymir heard the sound of the parking break pull up. The engine shut off, removing the slight hum from her ears, and then there was a jiggle as the keys were removed. Ymir was amazed by how much she could actually hear, and cringed when she heard the door open and a boot crunch down onto gravel. The car door shut, and then the footsteps slowly, calmly, headed to the door.

“I will let her in,” Adrian offered. Even Nanaba and Maeve, who were by far the calmest of the group, looked uneasy. Why in the hell were they meeting with a lycan? But Adrian returned to his feet with the help of his cane, and waddled over to the door. Everyone heard the footsteps pause just behind it, but there was no knock. It took a minute or so for Adrian to finally reach the door, and when he did, he opened it. The scent washed into the room and a heavy growl ripped from Ymir’s throat. She couldn’t help it, considering what she had experienced with these creatures. She hated them. And now she was to listen to one speak?

“Sounds like I’m quite welcome,” the stranger announced in amusement. Her voice made everyone jumpy, because it made her real. The only one not shitting their pants was Hanji, because she looked more excited than jittery. In fact, Rico was sending her dirty looks and whispering harshly for her to calm the fuck down. Hanji had to sit on her hands.

“I’ve never met a friendly lycan before,” Hanji whispered back, excited. “This is fantastic!”

“Yeah, until it betrays us and kills Adrian for real this time,” Raiden shot back. The comment surprised everyone, especially due to the venom in her voice. Raiden noticed their shocked stares and shrugged. “What?”

Adrian chuckled by the door and closed it. The lycan remained inside, and all cynans tensed up again. They continued to listen to each footfall growing nearer and of each breath the lycan took. There was no telling what this meeting would reveal.

Since Ymir was closest to the passage, she was the first to see the lycan’s face. She shot up onto her feet, brimming with energy that twirled around her skin, preparing her to shift at any second. The others stood too, alarmed by Ymir’s aggressive reaction. The lycan finally entered the room, and no one but Ymir and Nanaba responded angrily.

“Calm down,” Adrian warned them. He pressed a hand to the wolf’s stomach to stop her, and she smiled gently at him.

“Sit,” she told him, and then guided him to the nearest chair. “I can handle myself.” Adrian was about to protest, but decided against it and relaxed in the seat. The wolf straightened, and she frowned lightly when she caught the burning gazes from a blonde and brunette cynan. She could guess as to why they were looking at her like that. Before saying anything she clasped her hands behind her back and then stepped closer to the group of weredogs. “I’m here as an ally, I assure you,” she said.

“Who are you?” Ymir spat. Her eyes were glowing already and her claws were out. A few more seconds and her tail would pop out, too.

The wolf lifted her hands in a sign of surrender. “My name is Dante.” She smiled. “I bear a striking resemblance to an elusive wolf. I’m sure you know her,” Dante directed at Nanaba, smiling.

“Liache,” the blonde breathed.

“Exactly!” Dante lowered her hands. “I am not Liache, just to clear the air. I am not even related to her. We just share physical similarities. Now, can we get to business? Krista is waiting for me.”

Ymir lurched forward, hands grabbing Dante around the throat. She slammed her into the nearest wall and growled viciously in her face. “Where is she?!”

Adrian sighed in disappointment, but Dante did not move. She remained still, a calm, thoughtful expression on her face. “I am here to tell you that,” she answered evenly. “If you let me, I will explain the situation in full. I come on behalf of the hunters.”

The others grew more restless, alarmed at the revelation. “Why?” Nanaba asked. She pried Ymir away from their guest and forced her to stand a few steps away.

Dante sighed softly and straightened her shirt. “I am Captain of the Scarlet group. We have been tasked with watching Krista since she was an infant.” Dante quickly lifted her hand to stop Ymir’s next snarl. “Please, Ymir. Allow me to explain before you hit me. If you still feel like it when I’m done, you’re more than welcome.”

Ymir deflated instantly. She opened her mouth but quickly shut it. So she sat down quickly, allowing the others to do so too, and set her dark gaze on their unwanted guest. “Okay, talk,” she ordered.

“I cannot explain Krista’s… condition in full yet. She asked me not to reveal too much. So I will only say this: considering who her father is, it was required that we watch her. As it so happens, she met you,” she pointed at Ymir. “And bonded with a cynan lover. At first we worried, but nothing alarming happened out of it. We continued to silently watch her.” Dante finally stepped away from the wall and paused beside Adrian. “Liache is a highly wanted lycan. The hunters have been after her for years. Out of coincidence, somehow Krista became involved with Nanaba, who was in turn involved with Liache. The situation escalated quickly, but we had no warning. When Krista was attacked, an ally of ours retrieved her and we saved her life. It took a lot of healing, but she is finally able again.” Dante paused and put a gentle hand on Adrian’s shoulder. “I know that what my kind has done to you is unacceptable. I am truly sorry about that. However, I know that a few of you would like revenge. That is my true purpose from coming here. Oh, and before I forget.” Dante turned to Ymir. “We could not let you discover your mate’s location, because Liache has been watching everything that happens here. I severed your link, which you probably felt. You can easily form it again with a bite, but for now you cannot hear or feel her, and nor she with you.

"Now, let me get to the point. We finally have Liache's location. But she has eluded us for years. This is why we require your help. Not only do you," she pointed at Ymir, "have someone you need to retrieve, but you," she inclined her head towards Nanaba, "have a personal grudge to settle."

Ymir's fists clenched tightly, but she was finally going to see Krista again. Knowing that she was safe without a doubt set Ymir to ease, even when she felt blinding anger towards Adrian for keeping Krista's condition and location from her.

"You want to use us as bait, don't you?" Hanji asked, her grin so wide that it almost split her face.

Dante lifted a brow and grinned. "How did you figure that out?"

"Why else would the hunters come to us? If it was just a case of keeping Krista's location, for whatever reason, secret, then you simply could have kept it that way and only returned her when the threat had passed."

Dante chuckled and walked over to Hanji. Rico recoiled away, but Hanji stood eagerly. "May I shake your hand?" Dante asked. "Most of your kind holds only disgust or contempt towards me. Your attitude is refreshing."

Hanji laughed outright. "I'd be honoured to!"

The two of them clasped hands, and Hanji groaned in appreciation at the warmth of Dante's skin and the strong grip. Rico sent a glare over Hanji's head.

"Alright." Dante pulled her hand away first. "Your mate seems uncomfortable with me touching you."

Hanji's brows furrowed in confusion. For a moment she simply tried to figure out who her mate could be, but then she felt eyes burn into her back and she whirled around in surprise. "No!" she exclaimed. "Rico and, we aren't..."

Rico rolled her eyes, but there was a faint blush on her face. "Like I'd ever get with this idiot."

Dante seemed slightly embarrassed by her assumption, but she was more amused than anything. "I apologize," she said.

Hanji sputtered and returned to her seat with Rico, bright red and uncomfortable. Ymir could see that just by the expression on her face, she had wanted to all but examine Dante right then. It would have been funny, if the situation wasn't so serious.

"Where is she?" Ymir asked.

Dante backed up until she was by Adrian again, as if she didn't want to make the others too uncomfortable with her presence. "All the details are in here," she answered, handing a large file over to Ymir. "We need your assistance by tomorrow. It shouldn’t take too long to get there, and once you are, please don't move about on your own. Wait until I give you orders. You can see your mate again when we have the lycans in custody. We have hunters spread out over the marked area, where we want to lure Liache and her group to."

Raiden lifted her hand as she leaned over to look at the file on Ymir’s lap. “Can I ask something?”

Dante grinned in amusement and inclined her had. “You may, young one.”

“What are ‘hunters’? I don’t really know much about your organization, other than that you hunt us down.”

“Our aim isn’t to hunt down cynans or lycans,” Dante answered.

“Isn’t the organization for humans only?” Hanji enquired.

“In the past, yes,” Dante conceded. “But recently they have allowed all kinds entrance—cynans, lycans, humans and even druids. What the organization stands for now is peace. While it does mainly involve were-kind, we don’t simply hunt these people down just because of what they are. The hunters are a sort of police, you could say. When a cynan or a lycan steps out of line and creates problems inside or outside of the public eye—inside being less preferable, for the sake of secrecy—a group is sent out to investigate thoroughly before finding and apprehending the offender. Depending on the individual’s crime, they will either be imprisoned or…” Dante trailed off and the smile slowly eased off of her face. She looked Raiden right in the eye, and the redhead immediately knew what the ‘or’ implied—execution. 

“Why are you here, though?” Berik asked loudly. He’d been burning to give his two cents, and since the others had relatively calmed down already, he felt safe enough to speak up. “I mean, do you really need us that badly?”

Dante crossed her arms over her chest. “The situation is more complicated than it seems. Some people have personal interests involved. What I want is to capture Liache and have her stand trial, as well as her group of minions. I cannot let her slip through my fingers again. The only way to ensure that she does not bolt the moment she catches wind of my group is to have you all on the scene. For reasons known to you, Liache has staked a claim on you,” she sent Nanaba a knowing glance, indicating that she was aware of the reasons too. “And that is a valuable opportunity. To get Liache to the location we want, we need Adrian, Nanaba and Ymir there too, to draw her out. If she’s as clouded by anger as I think she is, then she’ll choose her anger over survival, and she’ll show.”

“Are we going to do anything else other than play as your fucking bait?” Ymir asked in a growl. Her grip on the file in her hand made her skin turn white, and the plastic of the object would have finger-like dents in it.

“Well, I would prefer it if you acted as a decoy only. When Liache is in site, we have the resources to quickly and efficiently take her down. But time is not on our side. I’m sure that she already knows that we are onto her, and if we don’t catch her interest soon, she’ll be gone again.”

“What about Krista? I don’t understand why your stupid fucking organization took her. What in the hell does she have to do with this? Why couldn’t she just return?”

Dante’s eyes grew hard, and suddenly a deep, dark glow took her eyes. For a moment it looked like she would burst out in anger, but she didn’t react outwardly and only merely stared at Ymir as if her burning gaze would convey enough. “Things have changed for your mate, Ymir,” Dante informed her softly.

 _Changes that will alter the very fabric of your relationship,_ she projected into Ymir’s head.

Ymir clenched her teeth together. _Stop fucking with me. Tell me what happened to her._

_It is not my place to tell. I gave her my word._

_Are you seriously telling me to believe that Krista wouldn’t want me to know what happened to her? How do I know that you aren’t working with that fucking monster, huh? That you aren’t keeping Krista hostage? Or that she is really… really dead?_

Dante moved forward again and Ymir stood to meet her halfway. Their gazes were locked, and though their lips weren’t moving, it was obvious to the others that something was going on. Nanaba stood too, just in case she would need to pull them apart. She put a comforting hand on Ymir’s shoulder.

_Ymir, I would never do anything to harm your Krista. Just trust me. Look, there’s a small memory stick in the file. Don’t tell anyone about it. Krista asked me to give it to you. She recorded it this morning. The explanation has to come from her, but not yet. After we capture Liache, you will have your mate back and the two of you can return to your lives._

Ymir studied Dante’s eyes for a long moment. The air in the room became awkward and tense, but then she stood down and scoffed, upset. “Well fuck off then so we can pack,” she snarled. She grabbed the file and stormed out of the room, eager to see if the honesty she had seen in Dante’s eyes was genuine at all.

Dante breathed a sigh of relief. “I should go,” she announced. “I wish we could have met under better circumstances. I’ve overstayed my visit already.”

Adrian stood shakily and gratefully accepted Nanaba’s help to keep his balance. “Will you tell Jean that I send my thanks?” he asked.

Dante smiled. “Of course. She’s eager to visit again. Maybe next time we can all visit. Your cynans have a very bad impression of my kind.”

Adrian’s smile became strained. “Shall I show you to the door?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Dante began to follow the old man out, but paused for a small moment to glance over her shoulder. Raiden was watching her, and she made sure to lock their gazes before sending her a little mental message.

_Raiden, I did not want to say this in front of the others. With the file I gave Ymir, there is information on your biological sister. She is one of Liache’s wolves. I thought I would let you know, to give you a stake in this too, and to maybe give your sister a little hope for the future._

Raiden’s face drained and her eyes widened in shock. She stared at Dante’s molten eyes until the wolf turned quickly and left the house. The redhead couldn’t breathe. It was such a sudden bit of important information, and it was difficult to process.

 _A sister?_ Raiden thought. _But I thought…?_ How could she have a lycan sibling, when she was a cynan herself? And worse than that, if this was true then her sister was part of an evil lycan gang. Raiden stood on trembling legs and left through the back door. Berik wanted to follow her, but then she suddenly threw her few clothes off and shifted, running hurriedly into the woods.

“What’s up with her?” Berik wondered to himself. He figured that maybe she was getting over the fright from the encounter, and focused back on Hanji’s excited babbling. She was going on about how tall and strong Dante had seemed and though Rico looked like she would rather gauge her eyes out than listen, Hanji gabbed on anyway. Berik looked to where Ymir had stormed out of the room and then to where Raiden had disappeared. He sighed, feeling a weight settle on his shoulders like none ever had before. 

When would this end?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter, finally. It’s short, I know. I’m sorry about that. I managed to write some of it in the morning before work, and even once on my tea break. Since I’m working now I don’t have as much time to write and I really apologize. Like this one, and with my other updates, chapters might be shorter so that I can update more frequently. I hope you guys can bear with me. ALSO, D is finally revealed! D is for Dante! Omg. Did you guys make any connections from this to Demon? Lemme know if you realize it. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Drop a review and let me know ^^ I’d appreciate it.


	20. Chapter 20

_"I trust Adrian, but most of all I trust you. If anything happens you’ll be by my side so quickly that they won’t be able to lay a finger on me.”_

Krista’s voice rang in Ymir’s ears. It sounded so near even though Krista had been gone so long. The words were unsavoury, though, and Ymir turned sharply to bury her face underneath a pillow. She clenched her hands together and pulled them under her chest. Breathing evenly did nothing to dispel the sudden empty ache in her chest. It was the place Krista had occupied. The place that had been severed. It almost felt like a lost limb, but Ymir shut her eyes tightly and moved a hand to tug hard on her hair to lose the train of thought.

_She’s safe,_ Ymir told herself. Her fangs grew out suddenly, and even as they grew too long and threatened to cut into her mouth, Ymir felt comforted by them. Her skin itched and tingled, and laying there in self-pity added to her feeling of restlessness. With a grunt Ymir sat up sharply, and then she rustled her own hair. _I just have to play bait,_ she reminded herself. _Just that, and then they’ll take me to her._ She clutched at her chest. _I can see her again._

Ymir swallowed. A new fear crept into her mind and bloomed inside of her chest. She tried to ignore it, but it persisted. She collapsed onto her back again and stared up at the white ceiling. The thought was nagging. Consuming.

_What if things changed so much that she doesn’t want to see me?_

XxX

“Thank you for coming,” Dante announced calmly. She paused. “We’re missing one.”

Nanaba shifted where she stood and sighed. She shared a glance with Adrian from where he had taken a seat, and then gently pushed off from the wall. “She stayed behind at the hotel,” she explained. “I will simply relay the plan of action to her when we get back.”

Dante’s lips pressed together. “How can I trust her to fulfil her part without her even being here?”

“Cut her some slack,” Nanaba growled. The others couldn’t help but growl as an echo, suddenly uncomfortable. “She knows that Krista is here. This is difficult for her.”

“You’re right,” Dante relented. She sighed and slumped down into her own seat. “I can’t expect her not to be affected by the loss of her mate.”

“Thank you,” Nanaba breathed. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Petra’s comforting smile. She smiled back and then took a seat herself. “Sit down everyone,” Nanaba ordered softly. “We have to concentrate for this.”

Dante waited until all cynans and the humans had seated themselves, and then she scooted forward and clasped her hands together. “We have a trap zone set up already. A large squadron of hunters lie in wait there as we speak. What we need of you is to travel here,” she pointed to a white board behind her on the wall, one that had a map and images of a clear field stuck to it. “We believe Liache and her wolves are located close to this area. We have no exact location, but this is enough to go on. What you need to do is run through the forest until they pick up your scent and attack. Do not engage them. Simply change course and lead them to our trap zone. The moment they are in position, your cynans can run to cover and the hunters will take action. Before anyone knows it, Liache and her group will be apprehended. I only hope that we can do this swiftly and without incident. Is that clear?”

A low murmur travelled around the weredogs, all sharing glances. Eventually they all looked to Nanaba for assurance, and waited as she considered. The blonde stared at Dante with hard, calculating eyes. It took a few moments of thinking, but eventually the stony expression fell from Nanaba’s eyes and she stood. “That plan should work,” she said. “And I also have something to add. When the wolf threat began, I had my cynans form a perfect formation. If we use that formation in the forest, we can more easily detect the lycans and alert the others.”

Dante stood as well and headed over to the board. She picked up a red permanent marker and offered it to Nanaba. “Show me.”

She did so. Nanaba confidently took the marker and pressed it firmly to the white board. With effortless swoops of her wrist, Nanaba drew up a short diagram explaining the formation. She drew a decent looking map of trees, even a trail that she had noticed in the map to the left of her drawing. One by one she listed names, having drawn small faces of each cynan to showcase in which position they would be. Dante watched intently, and then she smiled and nodded her head when Nanaba was done.

“Perfect,” she said. “We’re set to leave first thing tomorrow morning. Go back to the hotel and get some rest. I’ll meet all of you at the edge of the forest, close to the trap zone. Do any of you have any questions?”

Nanaba turned around as Dante did and regarded her fellow weredogs. None of them spoke up, so she reached out and offered her hand. “Let’s hope this succeeds.”

Dante took the handshake with a smile. “Let’s. I’ll see all of you tomorrow.”

They nodded amicably and dropped hands. Nanaba quickly followed the others out of the door, waiting or Adrian to head out before her. She paused just before leaving and sent Raiden a questioning glance. The redhead hadn’t stood from her seat, and she was staring at Dante with a heated expression. She felt Nanaba’s eyes on her and turned to look her way.

“I’ll be with you in a moment,” Raiden told her softly. “I just have something to say.”

Nanaba sent Dante—who was regarding the Alpha-born with curiosity—a hard stare, and then she nodded at Raiden and left. Raiden finally stood and trembled under the wolf’s glowing gaze.

“Who is she?” Raiden asked shakily.

Dante crossed her arms over her chest. “Did you not read the files I gave you?”

Raiden swallowed. “I… I did but… but tell me. I need to hear it from you.”

Genuine pity covered Dante’s face and she stepped forward to grip onto Raiden’s shoulder. “I feel awful for having told you this way.”

“No.” Raiden shook her head. “I understand why you did it. I just… I fought her, you know? She nearly killed some of us. To think that she… and I… that we’re…” Raiden sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. She looked tired, like she hadn’t slept for days. Maybe she hadn’t. “How is it even possible to have a lycan sister?”

“Easily,” Dante remarked. “The both of you share a mother, but have different fathers. Your mother was a lycan and your father a cynan, whereas for, uh, for your sister, both of her parents were wolves.”

“I was abandoned really young, you know,” Raiden commented. She wasn’t even aware that she was sharing personal information with a complete stranger, information that not even Nanaba knew yet. “I was around four. I remember my mother. She had really long black hair and the most beautiful grey eyes. She would always give me this sad stare when she thought I wasn’t looking. Why did she do it? When she left me she… she was crying. She didn’t want to, so why did she do it?”

“Well, it might be possible that your sister’s father was involved.”

Raiden’s eyes widened. “He found out about me, didn’t he? He knew that my mother had been with someone else… a mutt.”

Dante frowned. “Don’t say that word.”

“It’s fine.”

“We have no trace of your mother. Perhaps your sister will know.”

“What about my father?”

“We haven’t looked into it. If you want, after this chaos is over, I could help you look for your parent.” Dante smiled suddenly, humour glinting in her eyes. “Your father shouldn’t be too hard to find, what with that face of yours and that blazing red hair.”

Raiden blushed almost as brightly as the hair on her head. “Hey, no teasing. We’re supposed to hate each other.”

Dante chuckled. “I know. You should leave. I can smell Nanaba nearby. She cares for you.” Her eyes softened. “I hope that when this is over you can reconnect with your lost family, and if not, that you at least stay happy with the family you formed on your own.”

Raiden stared up at the wolf with surprise. “Th-thank you,” she said. “Me too.” Nervously she stepped away, and then she slipped out of the door and caught Nanaba leaning against the wall right beside it, her expression pained. Raiden’s chest tightened. “You heard, didn’t you?”

Nanaba nodded slowly, eyes at her feet. She wouldn’t look up. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

Raiden interrupted her with a tight hug. “Don’t be sorry,” she breathed. Her nose pressed against the warm skin of Nanaba’s throat, and when the blonde’s strong arms encircled her, she sighed and slumped forward. The most frustrating stream of tears slid down her face then, and she allowed them to soak into Nanaba’s shirt.

“But I am,” Nanaba uttered softly. “For everything you have suffered.” She held Raiden to her and endured the trembles and sobs. She did not mind having to offer the comfort. Petra sent her a mental question, and she sighed lightly when Raiden hiccupped.

_Where are you?_

_I’m fine,_ Nanaba assured. _Tell the others to leave without me. I’ll be out in a moment. Raiden just… she needs a shoulder to cry on. Literally._

_Is everything okay?_

_It will be. Go with them and make sure Ymir eats something. I’ll be behind you guys, promise._

Nanaba could just hear Petra’s sigh. _Fine. Be safe. I love you._

_I love you too._

“Thank you,” Raiden sniffled out. “I’m sorry I—”

“Ssh.” Nanaba pulled her in tighter and made sure that she couldn’t pull away. “Keep quiet and cry it out. I won’t tell anyone that you did it.”

A smile played at Raiden’s lips. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

XxX

Surprisingly, Ymir was fast asleep when everyone returned to the hotel. Her own turbulent thoughts must have tired her out. They let her sleep, but when early morning arrived, Nanaba was the one to wake her. Everyone gathered in the lobby downstairs, and on their way to the trap zone they explained the plan to Ymir. She only muttered her response and nodded her head lamely when Nanaba demanded acknowledgment, and then everyone caught the hint and left her alone. The forest was just outside of the city, and an hour was all it took to get there. The hunters had clearly set up camp when they arrived and Dante was the one to greet them, beside her a tall blonde of equal build and intimidation. However, Adrian hurried to her side the moment he was out of the car and shared a long hug with her.

“Jean!” he exclaimed happily. The blonde wolf smiled in delight and carefully hugged the old man back.

“My leg is back in working condition,” she told him, smiling. “Thank you.”

“Thank you for rescuing Krista,” Adrian uttered quickly. He gave Jean a pat on the back. “I don’t know what would have happened if you had not taken her out of there so quickly.”

“Considering what was happening to her, I had to,” Jean answered. She felt burning eyes on her and looked up to catch Ymir’s glare. Her brows furrowed. “I am glad to see that you are back to full health, too,” she told Ymir. “I would have gone back to help you, but Krista was my priority. Her heart had already stopped when I got there, and then again on the trip here.”

Ymir’s face drained of colour and Nanaba put a quick hand on her shoulder. “Please behave,” she whispered furiously.

“She’s fine now!” Jean exclaimed quickly. “I brought her back and then we fixed her up.”

“Everyone, gather around!” Dante announced suddenly. She shot Jean a look and the blonde wolf shrugged, smiling sheepishly. A lot of hunters obeyed the command—human, cynan and human alike—and stepped closer to listen. Ymir immediately caught familiar scents and noticed Mikasa standing at the edge of the group. The woman seemed to sense her gaze, for she looked over as well and sent Ymir a nod. The brunette had to resist the urge to rush over to her and tear her throat out. Dante’s booming voice was the only thing that snapped her out of her bloodlust. “We only have one chance to do this,” Dante started. She locked eyes with everyone one by one. “Let us not fuck it up.”

Ymir snickered at the cuss. She ignored the rest of the speech and stared off to the side, to where Mikasa stood with Annie, Sasha, Eren and Armin. Each of them listened intently. Each of them looked sick with worry. Ymir could relate.

XxX

The nine of them moved in an arrowhead formation with Nanaba at the tip, at a distance of a kilometre from each other. To her left were Raiden, Berik, Ilse and then Mike. On her right were Ymir, Maeve, Rico and then Hanji. Both Mike and Hanji functioned as the scouts, the lookers. Mike had an exceptional sense of smell whereas Hanji had heightened senses—more so than the others. She was an observer, a studier. She was used to watching for anything out of the ordinary. Ilse and Rico were fast and light on their feet, and would act as the bridge between the scouts and the muscle—Berik, Raiden, Maeve and Ymir. When either Mike or Hanji detected a threat, they would alert Ilse or Rico, who would then alert the others. The formation would then close in tighter, with the scouts and runners moving to the centre and the muscle flanking their sides in protection. They would then form a circle—Nanaba in the front, Maeve to the right, Berik to the left and then Raiden and Ymir at the back. When an attack came, they would be ready. Based on their abilities, this was the best formation they could come up with.

To her sides Nanaba and Maeve were not that far, but Ymir felt alone. She tried to ignore the crawling sensation along her skin and kept alert. They needed to react immediately when the scouts discovered something—a scent, a track or even a visual. There was definitely the stench of Liache and her group in the woods. It was almost as if the wolves had purposefully pissed on the trees to draw them deeper into the woods. Ymir tried to shake off the suspicion. It was difficult.

They hadn’t been running all that long. Every once in a while Ymir would spot Nanaba’s golden fur ahead, and the sight spurred her on harder. Her paws thumped heavily on the dark, moist soil at her feet. She was moving so fast that the dirt kicked up violently behind her. If anything had to jump her now, Ymir would definitely react quickly enough. Every fibre of her being felt as though it was cracking with electricity. She felt alive with sensation. Every sound was louder, every touch more exploding, every smell more potent. A single sign of a damn wolf and Ymir would know it. However, she never expected to be so unprepared when the time actually came.

Twenty minutes into it, Ymir spotted a flash of white fur and then a strong scent burnt her nose. For a long moment she was lost in a memory, transported from the forest back to that office, back to that horrific moment.

_The white haired woman clawed down her back, and Ymir released a strangled scream of pain. Revy then punched her right in the stomach, and when she bent forward, Kage kicked her roughly and she fell. Ymir desperately tried to crawl away, reaching out for Krista as the blonde screamed for her, but then both Revy and Kage lifted her up and held firmly onto her arms. Her front was open, and Rui walked forward to swing a good few punches at Ymir’s face. The brunette tried not to make a noise, tried to make it less painful for Krista, but then they started to claw at her skin, nails slicing through her flesh from every angle. Blood soaked her feet and Ymir slumped forward when they were done, unconscious._

Ymir shook her head to rid herself of the memory. Her heart began thumping angrily then, adrenalin spilling more thickly into her veins. She barely even noticed it as her body grew by a few inches here and there, arms lengthening, muscles bulging. Her fangs doubled in length and her claws grew out as long as daggers. The forest became deathly quiet, the only sound coming from Ymir’s haggard breathing. A sudden red haze covered her burning gaze, turning her usually molten gold eyes to almost blazing scarlet. A deep, violent growl ripped from her teeth and then Ymir saw her—saw the flash of long, lanky limbs and the glow of unnaturally red eyes. She heard the chortle, the snuff of air through nostrils. And then all she could smell was Krista—her Krista, her precious mate and lover, the only real friend she had ever made and the only person that had ever grown to love her. All she could smell was Krista’s blood, as she had been soaked in it, bathed in it. Ymir lost it.

She released a terrifying howl into the air and then darted after the white wolf. Answering howls bounced back at her, but they were far away. Too far away to stop her. Ymir didn’t even care that they were worried, urging her to stick with the plan and form the second formation. A second set of howls filled the air a moment after, and Ymir knew that the other cynans had met with Liache’s group. But all Ymir could care about was the white wolf leading her away from the trees. All she could feel was the sensation of her claws slicing into waiting flesh. It was divine, and Ymir shivered in ecstasy.

Liache ran quite a few paces ahead, but then she stopped completely and whirled around. They were in an old construction site, closer to the city now. She scuffed at the ground and growled deafeningly loud as Ymir stopped as well.

_You,_ Ymir projected to the wolf. _I will kill you._

Liache tilted her head back to howl in amusement. She lowered her head then and licked her white teeth. _Let’s see you try,_ she growled in response. _I should have torn your throat out when I had the chance._

_Why didn’t you?_ Ymir taunted.

The two of them began to circle each other, the hair that travelled down their spines standing up. Ymir made sure to stand as tall as she could, ears standing rigid and chest puffed up. Liache did the same, and the both of them went round and round as their growls ripped the frigid air.

_I wanted to see if your bitch would change,_ she said. _I smelt it all over her. She almost did, too. Poor mutt had no idea who her daddy was._

Ymir felt her blood boil. _You know **nothing** of Krista._

_That isn’t even her name, you worthless pile of shit._

That was all Ymir could take. Her muscles bulged as she strained, pulling them taut in preparation. And then she was off, claws slicing into the ground as her body shot forward. She opened her jaws and snapped them at Liache’s face, but the white wolf dodged in time and responded with a hefty swing of her paw. Ymir managed to smack it away and swing her own paw, but Liache did the same. It all happened in the span of a second, mid-air, and when they landed in a cloud of dust, their snarls became louder. Ymir snapped again, teeth finally meeting their mark and sinking into Liache’s shoulder. The wolf copied the motion and clamped down around Ymir’s upper back, but neither howled in pain. They tore at each other, snarling and growling and ripping with their teeth. Ymir used the strength in her muscles to tip them over and then released her jaws. They fell over, and then they were tumbling, destroying the ground underneath them as they battled for control.

Had a human been watching, they would have thought this to be a nightmare of monsters.

Ymir managed to swipe a paw down Liache’s chest, but then the wolf pushed her over with her shoulder and then stepped hard against her chest. Ribs cracked and Ymir whined, but she refused to fall just yet.

The clouds hung heavily above them, and suddenly rain began to pour from the sky.

Ymir tried to crawl out from under Liache, but the wolf kept her there with a heavy paw on her broken chest, claws digging into her skin. So Ymir settled onto her back and lashed out with both paws, catching Liache on the jaw. This time the wolf howled in pain, and Ymir took that as her chance. She knocked her off and then dove for her neck.

The thick veins at Liache’s throat bobbed and trembled as pulses of blood flew through them. Ymir could already taste the heat of her flesh against her tongue, pounding into her mouth. But it never happened. Her teeth went for their mark, Ymir had aimed right for her throat, but then suddenly piercing pain stabbed through her own instead and Ymir was pushed to the ground. A thick tongue pressed to her wet fur and then Ymir choked—Liache had her around the throat.

_Thought you had me, huh?_

Ymir’s heart felt like it was about to give.

_Thought that you could lunge for my throat and get me? I gave you that opening. I led you through this while dance. These cuts on me? I allowed them. They’ve even healed already._

They had. Nothing but blood soaked through Liache’s fur. Steam lifted from both of their bodies. Liache tightened her jaws and Ymir scratched helplessly at the ground. A steady stream of blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth, joining the already blood dirtied ground. They were both matted with mud and blood now.

_I won’t… let you… win…_ Ymir choked out. She could already feel herself drift away as pools of her blood spilled out between Liache’s teeth. If she was going to die, then she at least wanted to take the beast with her. But struggling only made Liache’s teeth sink further, and eventually Ymir had no strength left. If Liache didn’t snap her neck, then she would bleed out in minutes.

_I’m going to kill you now,_ Liache growled into her mind. She shuddered at the gasping breath Ymir took in response. _I’ll kill your blonde mate when I’m done with you._

Ymir could only stare off into the trees. Rain pelted her face, but at least Liache’s body covered her from most of the downpour. She could barely breathe. Everything began to blur. But then a sharp howl entered the sky just as Liache pulled back to twist her head and snap Ymir’s neck. The wolf froze completely and Ymir’s vision cleared. She stared straight ahead, and then Liache dropped her completely and Ymir could breathe again. She choked and snarled on air, pulling her numb body away from the wolf. Liache let her go. From the treeline someone stepped out, bare and drenched in rain. Ymir had no more strength in her and her body changed back without her consent. So she used her hands to pull her away, coughing and choking on her blood as she tried to breathe. The instinct to survive was suffocating her. 

“Surrender,” a powerful voice boomed. Ymir froze at the sound of it, and Liache lowered her head by an inch. “ **Now.** ”

Liache huffed and hit the soil with her front paws. Steam curled up into the air from her body, and Ymir watched her with interest, wondering what she would do.

The person was too far away to really see, but Ymir strained her eyes. She knew that she would pass out at any second, but a deep ache in her chest told her to grasp onto her consciousness. She did.

_How dare you?_ Liache roared. She reared up on her hind legs like a horse, tall and powerful and every bit the devil she looked. But the person only stepped up to her—short and blonde and completely, utterly unintimidated.

Blue eyes suddenly landed on Ymir, and all the breath left her. Ymir’s body froze and refused to work any longer. She stared, open mouthed, wide-eyed, unable to comprehend.

“I said surrender,” the newcomer said. Her blue eyes shot back to Liache who was still standing high on her hind legs. “Or I will make you.”

Liache dropped down onto her paws. Her ears folded against her head, but she refused to let this woman force her into anything. She snarled and resisted, trying her hardest to stay upright and straight, but failing.

Suddenly the woman shifted into a huge black wolf. She looked like a shadow, like a mass of rippling muscle and strength. She merely lifted her head and peered down at Liache, her eyes a swirling, intense blue. Ymir knew those eyes.

Ymir’s head suddenly felt heavy. Her arms moved of their own accord, folding neatly in front of her, and then she dropped her head down onto them, unable to keep it up any longer. It felt as though someone had sat down on her. A huge weight pressed her down and Ymir had not the power to resist it.

Liache didn’t have the strength either, and she bowed just the same, snarling and snapping at the ground. Her claws tore through the soil and her muscles protested, but she could not stop herself from swooping down and surrendering. Just then a mass of bodies exploded from the trees, tackling Liache to the ground. Liache roared in anguish, thrashing and flailing her limbs. Suddenly she went limp, and then her body transformed back into her human form and she continued to growl as she was restrained and roughly pulled onto her feet. The black wolf looked at Ymir then, calmly and confidently. She allowed the hunters to pull Liache off and carefully strode over to the brunette on the ground.

Ymir felt the weight drop off of her and crawled onto her hands and knees. A great shadow covered her, and when she looked up, her world came to a stop. Slowly the wolf changed. Fur grew back into skin, paws changed to hands, and then a muzzle transformed into a soft, pink mouth, and Ymir sucked in a harsh breath.

“I’m sorry that I had to show that to you, Ymir,” she said.

Ymir tried to get to her feet but was too weak and fell onto her hands and knees again. She stared down at her wet, bloody hands, eyes wide.

“Do you hate me?”

Ymir squeezed her eyes shut and almost fell over, but sucked in large mouthfuls of air to regain her balance. Slowly she managed to climb onto her feet, and finally when she had, she looked down at the blonde with exhausted eyes.

“Hate you?” Ymir questioned. She stepped forward carefully and reached out with a hand. Her heart soared when a smaller one met her own, and their fingers intertwined. “Don’t be stupid,” Ymir snarled. The rain had finally stopped, but Ymir’s face remained wet. New tears spilled over her skin, even as her wounds continued to bleed. “How could I ever hate you?”

Ymir pressed her face into her hand, openly sobbing.

“I’m sorry.”

Ymir laughed. “You’re sorry?”

A gentle hand reached out and cupped her face. Somehow that touch conveyed so much strength that Ymir’s painful tears eased and then disappeared entirely. The hole in her chest healed and tore right open at the same time.

“I am.”

“Really,” Ymir muttered. She looked up and caught a burning blue gaze. “Just how long do you think I’ve been waiting for you, Krista?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy hell, was that intense. I can say that in writing this my heart was pounding. Can’t imagine what it must have been like to read. I hope that you guys enjoyed the new chapter! It took way too long, I know. I’ve really been struggling to write, but somehow I managed to get this out. Thank you for reading ^^ I look forward to your reviews. I’m glad to finally be back!


	21. Chapter 21

**Four months ago:**

* * *

Liache’s face was not one of the things Krista expected to see upon wrestling her eyes open. She had just roused from a deep, painful sleep, and while her entire body hurt, her mind was active. She startled badly at first, sitting up quickly in bed. But then her mind reeled as blood rushed to her head and she fell forward, choking on air.

“Don’t move so suddenly,” Liache chastised. “You just tore your wounds open again.”

Krista’s heart shuddered in fear and anger, and she physically reeled away from Liache even though her wounds screamed at her to stop. “Get away from me!”

Liache stepped away, face drawn down in sadness. She sighed, and it was only then that Krista really opened her eyes and got a good look at her visitor. It wasn’t Liache. This person had the features, but not the white hair or the dark red eyes. She didn’t look evil, either. But the fear still remained.

“My name is Dante,” she spoke softly, hands open in front of her. “I helped save you.”

“Where am I?” Krista felt her pulse beat with fear. Nothing around her looked or felt or smelt familiar. Where was—wait… _smelt?_ “Where is Ymir? What happened?” She tried to get out of bed but it hurt too much and she had no choice but to lay down on her back. Carefully she lifted the blanket and then peeled back her shirt to see why everything hurt so much. Krista swallowed at the bandages wrapped around her torso.

“Please stay calm,” Dante pleaded. “You were attacked a week ago. One of my wolves, Jean, she managed to get you out in time. We treated the worst of your wounds, but you’ve been asleep this whole time.”

Krista’s mind reeled. A whole week? “Y-Ymir…?” Her mouth went dry. She remembered everything now, and her eyes pooled with tears. She had watched as Ymir was shredded apart. Was she okay? Oh god, Krista hoped she was okay.

“Ymir is fine,” Dante assured quickly. “She and Adrian are recovering. What I need you to do is focus on getting well first. We have a lot to discuss with you.”

The door opened suddenly and Krista looked up, surprised to see Mikasa walk into the room. She wore a strange set of clothes—it looked like a uniform. She wore mostly black, with a red badge pinned to her shirt and her scarf secured around her throat. Her eyes were the same cold grey Krista remembered, but she suddenly felt like she didn’t know her friend quite as well as she had assumed.

“How are you feeling?” Mikasa asked. She took a chair close to the bed and sat down in it. Krista didn’t protest when Mikasa took her small, trembling hand. “We thought we lost you.”

Krista swallowed again. “Wh-what’s going on here?” She knew that Liache had attacked her. Homura had just watched… had actually participated. Ymir had been badly injured. But what was going on?

“Your old boss was a fake. That company never existed. Who you thought were your fellow co-workers were the wolves that you have been cautious about from the start,” Mikasa told her. Dante had already left the room. “We hoped to spring into action before they attacked you, but we were too late. I’m just so sorry that you had to suffer like this. I… we never wanted this.”

“We?” Krista stared down at their hands and noticed the thin, multiple scars crossing Mikasa’s skin. She had never noticed them before.

“Krista, I’m not who you think I am. None of us are. We’re part of an organization, of hunters. My squad was tasked with becoming close to you and observing you.”

Krista wanted to laugh. She looked at Mikasa and opened her mouth to respond that Mikasa was obviously talking bull, but the dark brunette looked absolutely serious. “Y-you…? So our friendship…?”

Mikasa’s eyes dropped. “It was real,” she assured. “But not in the beginning, no. I never married Sasha. Annie and Armin were never engaged. Eren isn’t even my brother. We all pretended for you.”

Krista felt a wave of dizziness take her. It was too much to take. First the attack, then this... What next? “Where is Ymir? I want to see her, please. I need time to take all of this in.”

Suddenly Mikasa’s grip tightened. “Krista,” she said softly. Her voice was urgent, careful. She looked pained, as if her next words would deal a physical blow. “I have something important to tell you, something that will be very difficult to swallow.”

Krista wondered how much more she could take. “What is it?”

“It’s about your father,” she explained. “About who he really was.”

As Mikasa explained, Krista turned pale and sickly until finally, exhausted and emotionally distraught, she asked for Mikasa to leave and went back to sleep. She had dreams, but none of her nightmares could even compare to her reality.

XxX

Daughter of the most famous lycan alive, heir of the royal bloodline—Krista could hardly believe it. Mikasa had explained it all in full detail. Krista’s mother had been a hunter. She had met Mr Reiss, a confident if a little cocky lycan, and fallen deeply in love with him. Krista had been the result, but back then relations between humans and lycans were still dangerous. Her father had left to protect them. But the hunters had kept tabs on Krista since the moment she had been born, to ensure that she was not in any danger or became a danger herself. Shortly after Krista had turned eighteen, her father was killed on a mission. He had decided to join the hunters too, but it had cost him his life.

Over time Mikasa and the others had grown a genuine bond with Krista, but still their mission remained. They knew when Ymir entered Krista’s life—knew what Ymir really was. They were told not to act and to observe. When Krista still failed to show signs of her parentage, the hunters remained docile. After the lycan threat entered the city, they feared that Krista would have been taken over by the change. But still, her human side persisted. Even when interacting with the wolves Krista did not show any signs of discovering her true self. But then the attack happened. They could not allow Krista to die—her bloodline was the last to survive. Should she die, hunters would lose the last hope they had at creating an ultimate method to keeping the peace—through Krista’s ability.

It was a lot to take in. Krista did so slowly. It took a while for her to recover. Mikasa and even Dante urged for her to tap into her lycan self and find a way to change. They reasoned that if she did her wounds would seal up. But Krista’s didn’t. She was too afraid.

Two weeks after waking, Dante convinced Krista to sever the bond she had with Ymir. Krista had felt Ymir somewhere out there, calling for her, begging for her to respond. Dante explained the danger they were in, so Krista agreed. It was painful when Krista finally heard Ymir’s desperate voice in her soul. She had cried after the link was gone, and Mikasa had hurried in to comfort her.

A month after the attack, Krista shifted for the first time. She was determined to master this side of herself, so that when they finally found Liache, she could stop her once and for all. They stood outside of the hunter compound, in the dry afternoon air.

“Take your clothes off,” Dante ordered.

Krista blushed bright red but obeyed. Her wounds were still healing and scars littered her body. Dante had assured that they would disappear after she shifted. After removing her clothing Krista stood rigid, shivering.

“Now relax. I need you to visualize this.”

Krista nodded. She remembered how she had helped Ymir change back, so long ago. She remembered how Adrian had helped them too, and she visualized herself changing. She saw a frightening creature in her mind, but pushed away from the fear and called for it, clung onto it and told it to _just take over_. It was sudden and painful. In what felt like seconds Krista’s body broke apart and then re-moulded itself. She was engulfed by painful heat, by the itching, pulling sensation on her skin. For a moment her senses disappeared and she couldn’t see or hear or feel, but then sensation rushed back, and suddenly she could see and hear and feel _everything._

 _Whoa,_ Krista thought. She glanced down at herself, surprised to see midnight black hair cover her body. It felt strange. Her head was too heavy and her posture felt weird, but she managed to take a few steps. At least she had a lot of third person experience. All of the times she had watched Ymir train rushed back to her, and over the days it grew easier to use this other body. Dante was impressed by her progress as the days went by. Eventually Krista learnt how to fight, hunt and defend herself. Those skills came even easier than the basic ones. She trained with both the other wolves and the hunters, and soon she became a formidable force. During the entire ordeal, Krista was sad. She missed Ymir, longed for her lover. More than anything she wanted to rush back to her, but she knew now, believed fully, that being with Ymir would put her in danger. Who was to say Ymir wouldn’t reject her, anyway? So Krista forced herself to stay away and she followed Dante’s lead.

When the time finally came to capture Liache, Krista was in one of the large tents watching some of the surveillance footage. Nanaba and the other cynans had just left to start their part of the plan, and Krista nervously chewed on her lip.

“She’ll be fine,” Dante told her. “I sense great power from Ymir.”

Krista rubbed a hand over her face. “I know. I’m just so worried. What if something happens out there?”

“Nothing will happen.” Dante forced Krista to face her and gave her a grin. “Trust me.”

Krista rolled her eyes. “I do. It’s Liache that I don’t.”

“The plan is simple,” Dante argued. “They run around until they’re tailed, then head over to the trap zone.”

Krista’s stomach fluttered. “I know, it’s just…”

“You’re just a worried mate.” Dante playfully nudged her shoulder. “I think Ymir will be in awe of you.”

Again Krista rolled her eyes. “In awe of me? I’m a huge black wolf.”

Dante winked. “Exactly.”

Krista sighed and left the tent to wonder around outside. She was not allowed to leave the area until Liache had been captured. Even though she was more than capable of helping, Dante and Jean and the others refused to let her go. They said she was too important and that she had a key role to play. Krista hated it. More than anything she just wanted to return to her old, simple life. She missed Ymir.

A venomous howl split through the air then, and Krista knew without a doubt that it was Ymir. Dante rushed to her and made to grab her, but Krista was already pulling at her clothes.

“Krista, we can handle it!”

More howls ripped into the sky and Krista’s eyes hardened. “Dante, stop telling me what the hell to do. I’m of the most powerful bloodline, right? So act like it. I’m going out there and I’m going to save the love of my life, _myself._ ”

Dante tried to protest, but Krista had already shifted and run off. There was nothing left to do, so she changed and followed. The other hunters and shifters did so too, and before long an entire army ran through the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter, but rather this than waiting forever for something longer. I know that it seems rushed, but I really don’t want to dwell on what happened to Krista through first person. Our babies are finally together again, I think we want to see that, right? So I’ll have Krista explain everything with more detail to Ymir herself. Hopefully I can get to the new chapter soon. Hope you enjoyed this short update!


	22. Chapter 22

Her skin was soft. Ymir’s fingertips trailed over the dips at her hips, her ears caught the slight hitch in her breath, and she lifted her eyes to meet swimming blue. Her gaze was stronger than Ymir remembered. Ymir lowered herself and pressed her lips to her stomach, her tongue darting out to taste the clean skin there. She released a low rumble in her chest. The scent around her was intoxicating—her heart was hammering in her chest, a heavy burn sizzled along her skin and Ymir only wanted to taste her, touch her, _feel_ her _._

“Ymir,” she said. Her voice was like velvet now.

Ymir ignored the word and continued exploring with her lips. She traced over the patterns she had created with her fingertips, and then sighed lightly and slid upwards. Their bodies moved together and Ymir felt like she was in heaven. The small body underneath her shivered. Hard, toned muscles rippled there—muscles that Ymir did not recognize. “Krista,” the brunette growled softly.

“Kiss me,” Krista begged. She moaned softly when Ymir’s lips met hers. Lost her pale fingers in Ymir’s long, shaggy hair—the cynan definitely needed a haircut. Though, Krista realized, she looked just as good with long hair, too.

Krista’s heart pounded just as much. Ymir filled her every sense, her every waking moment. Each breath she took was Ymir, each sound that touched her sensitive ears was Ymir. Everything. Not a detail slipped by. As Ymir kissed her passionately, slowly and with purpose, Krista slid her hands down the cynan’s strong back. She shuddered when Ymir did, enjoyed the shifting of hard muscles. In her mind she saw the golden glow of Ymir’s brown skin, illuminated by the candles in their tent.

They spoke no words. Nothing but the other’s name. No sound but a moan. Words were not needed. They feared them, detested them, and in that instant wanted nothing more than the reassurance of sweat-slicked flesh pressed to sweat-slicked flesh. It was glorious, and Ymir revelled in the haughty moans that dropped from Krista’s lips. Her eyes curiously watched when the blonde’s lips parted and sharp fangs glinted beyond. She kissed her again, her tongue exploring forward to trace the sharp points she found. Krista’s sharp nails raked down her back again, and Ymir could not stop herself from thrusting her hips suddenly, causing Krista to cry out in pleasure.

“Ymir,” Krista moaned. The blonde shut her eyes tightly. Her breath hitched even higher. “Ymir.”

“Krista.” Ymir trailed kissed along the smooth column of her throat. With her hands and lips she worshipped every inch of naked skin that Krista had to offer. The scent of their arousal consumed them, but it was not Ymir that growled predatorily this time. It was Krista, and she moved so suddenly that Ymir tensed when she did. Sharp points pressed to her shoulder, and Ymir felt an intense shiver rock down her body. A small, warm tongue swiped across her skin, and Krista’s breath washed over it after.

“Ymir,” Krista breathed. It was a question, a command and all at once a plea. Ymir knew immediately, felt the meaning in the pulsing of her blood. She suddenly pulled Krista more firmly against her, made the blonde press down onto her back again, and hiked her legs up higher against her sides. Krista immediately wrapped her legs around Ymir’s lower back, using the strength in them to force the brunette harder against her. She gasped, Ymir grunted, and then the brunette glanced up and their gazes locked.

Krista’s blue eyes began to glow. Ymir watched, enthralled—enticed and trapped. She swallowed thickly, felt the shuddering pulses at her throat. She wanted Krista to do it— _needed­_ her to. Ymir feared that if Krista didn’t do it, she would fall into despair. Her breath stopped short and Ymir felt the corners of her vision blur. She was burning now, with desperation, with need and want. Krista’s eyes were wide, excited, and her pink lips parted again. Ymir couldn’t resist dipping down to kiss her. She tasted life on her lips, love on her tongue. Her skin prickled and shivered in delight, and Ymir rocked hard against her, moaning into her mouth. Krista moved up into Ymir, just as desperate, just as in need. She whimpered then. It fell against Ymir’s mouth and the brunette pulled away to tilt her head, breathing heavily. Krista could see the blood pulsing there, could hear it, too, and feel the heat. Her heart thudded more heavily against her chest and her arousal spiked even higher.

“May I?” Krista found herself asking. Ymir had done it. She had to as well. Even though the cynan had already given permission, Krista felt the need to request it verbally.

Ymir turned to her small lycan mate, a smile tugging at her lips. But it disappeared when she shivered, when Krista pressed tighter to her, and she bent down to instead lick at Krista’s throat. Her teeth were out already, and she pressed the points of them to Krista’s skin. The blonde’s head fell to the side, exposing more of her throat.

“If you don’t,” Ymir husked, “then I will.”

Krista believed it. She groaned softly, and then lifted her head and sunk her teeth into the spot between Ymir’s neck and shoulder. The cynan tensed, hissed, and then relaxed, melted and spilled everything she had. She whimpered and shuddered, unable to comprehend what the receiving end of the bite truly felt like. It was glorious. Ymir’s head swam, her body went into ecstasy. Krista clutched at her with her hands and teeth, her tongue pressed to Ymir’s tensed shoulder muscle. The hole in their souls sealed up immediately and the emptiness that had been, was no more. They filled each other, became each other, and then, as soon as it had come, it was gone.

Krista released the bite and threw her head to the side, panting. Her head still swam with memories from Ymir, and her heart fluttered between euphoria and grief. She saw the pain Ymir had been in, saw the vacant spot she had left. But likewise, Ymir had seen her side, too.

They remained silent, tangled in the sleeping bag and each other, panting and naked. Ymir wanted to drop onto her side, but realized that her fingers were buried in heat, and wondered when she had thrust into Krista. The blonde shuddered when she pulled out, and then Ymir tipped over onto her back and the two of them stared up at the ceiling. The wounds at Ymir’s neck healed, not a scar left behind.

“That…” Ymir started. She stopped, considered, frowned. All too soon reality washed down on them. Ymir wanted to turn, to curl up around Krista and enjoy the warmth from her skin, but did not know if she should. Hesitantly she turned onto her side, and she caught Krista turned as well, staring at her seriously.

“We need to talk,” Krista said. She reached out and gently touched the spot where she had bitten Ymir, hardly believing that she had done it at all. Since discovering what she really was, thoughts of doing this had flickered often. Now it had happened, and Krista was already eager to do it again.

Ymir sighed softly and inhaled through her nose. Her earlier doubt disappeared in an instant and she scooted closer so that they were pressed together again. The softness of Krista’s breasts against her own was heavenly, and Ymir sighed in content. “Nah,” she said. “You already bit me. We’re bound again. There’s nothing to talk about.”

“But Ymir, you saw me… I’m…”

“A wolf,” Ymir concluded for her. “I saw that, yeah. When you were defeating that psycho and when you were biting me. I don’t care.” The brunette lifted Krista’s chin and grinned. “Did you seriously think I’d care?”

“Well, sort of…”

“Dumbass.”

“You’re right,” Krista agreed. “It was stupid. After that bite… we definitely don’t need to talk.”

“What we do need, though,” Ymir said, pulling Krista on top of her and then rolling them over again, so that her hips pressed to Krista’s inner thighs. “Is to make love as much as possible before Nanaba comes to get us.”

Krista bit into her lip and laughed. “Oh? Planning on catching up?”

Ymir growled, eyes changing and glowing. “You bet. By the end of the month you’ll be having my babies already.”

Krista flushed, and then she left the heated mood for a moment to regain her seriousness, though she became excited. “Ymir, now that I’m… that we know what I am, we can… I mean, it won’t be dangerous anymore. We can start a family, a real family.”

Ymir smiled gently and leaned down to brush their noses softly together. “Yeah,” she said. “We can. Eight kids.”

“Eight?” Krista yelled. She slapped Ymir in the shoulder and then gasped when the brunette winced. “Sorry.”

“Watch it, babe. You’re stronger than me now. And I was kidding.” Ymir chuckled and then kissed her softly on the lips. “We can have one, or two.”

“Two,” Krista decided.

“Two, then.” Ymir kissed her again and her chest rumbled. Krista’s did the same, and Ymir’s eyes snapped open in surprise. She started to laugh when Krista did, and then they pressed their foreheads together and just enjoyed the warmth surrounding them. “Still in the mood?”

Krista pretended to consider, and then she flipped them over without strain and smirked down at her surprised lover. “Always.” She leaned down, kissed her. She felt herself grow unbearably hot again and drew her nails down Ymir’s abdomen, but then startled when a throat cleared close by.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Nanaba announced. She sounded more awkward than she no doubt felt. “But, uh, it’s time.”

Ymir groaned. Krista sighed in disappointment, but then they obeyed and separated long enough to dress. Nanaba waited for them and smiled brightly when the emerged from the tent holding hands and healthily flushed in the face.

After the ordeal had settled with Liache’s capture, all cynans had been taken back to be tended to. Their wounds healed quickly, and Krista stayed with Ymir the entire while. Most around them could feel the smouldering tension, and then the couple had retired to Krista’s tend and hadn’t come out for a full day. No one had wanted to disturb them. Nanaba was glad to see that they were fine, though. She thought of Petra and her smile broadened.

“Come on,” she said. “Everyone is waiting.”

Krista swallowed in nervousness and Ymir’s hand tightened slightly around hers.

“Hey, you aren’t actually scared that they’ll reject you?”

Krista laughed suddenly. “No, not really.”

“Good. Because if they do, they’ll have to deal with a very pissed off me.”

“And a pissed off Ymir is never a good thing,” Nanaba piped up. She chuckled at the agreeing nod Krista sent her way. She also could hardly believe the change that she saw in Krista. Dante had informed them all, finally, of what was finally going on. Well, all the cynans had been able to smell the lycan scent all over Krista. It finally dawned on them that Krista had always smelt so nice, and now they knew why. Knowing what she really was hadn’t changed anything.

“So what happens now?” Ymir asked. “They shipped Liache off, didn’t they?”

Nanaba nodded. “We managed to catch her entire pack and they’ve been disabled for now. They won’t be able to shift for a while. Yesterday their cages were picked up, and they’re headed to the hunter base for trial. Though, um, one of them stayed.”

Krista’s eyes lowered to the ground. She didn’t feel much for Liache and the others anymore, but she couldn’t help a slight stab of betrayal and hurt when she remembered all that she had done with them. To know that it had all been a lie stung badly, but not as bad anymore.

“For Raiden?” Ymir asked.

Nanaba nodded again. “She has some questions. Dante managed to delay that lycans trial by a day. She’ll be taken away by this afternoon, though. Anyway, Dante wants to inform everyone of what happened exactly. She also wants to give thanks and stuff. Can you keep your hands off of each other long enough?”

Ymir and Krista shared a look, and for once they had the exact same thought. Ymir was impressed by the amount of heat that entered Krista’s face, and the way she bit sensually into her lip. Nanaba pretended not to see.

“A speech, breakfast and then we’ll leave. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m more than ready to get home.”

Ymir wound an arm around Krista’s shoulders and pulled her closer. She bent down and whispered something in Krista’s ear, and instead of growing flustered, Krista became bold and leaned up to respond in kind. Ymir’s freckles dusted over with red, and then a naughty grin split her face.

Nanaba sighed and fastened her footsteps. After all the drama, though, seeing them so affectionate was nice. Now, if only she could find Petra before Dante’s speech…

XxX

Raiden could barely breathe. Her knees wobbled and struggled to keep her up, especially when she walked. The path to the cage seemed to go on forever, though it was probably because Raiden took short, hesitant steps. Her heart thundered in her chest. Eventually she made it close, and stepped up to the side of the cage. Dark eyes flashed inside towards her, but the lycan did not stand. She sat in the corner of the cage, dirty still with blood and mud, eyes enraged and murderous.

“What?” she spat.

Raiden’s mouth went dry. “My name is Raiden Shizuku,” the redhead blurted. “I’m you s-sister.” She would have slapped herself, but didn’t. She also felt like turning and running away, but didn’t do that either.

The lycan paused, and then slowly got onto her feet. She stumbled over to where Raiden stood and then grabbed at the cold bars. For a long moment she only stared Raiden in the eyes. “A mutt, my sibling?” she asked, clearly disgusted, but there was something else in her voice that Raiden couldn’t identify.

“Y-yeah. Um, we had the same mom. You see, my dad was—is—a cynan, while yours is a lycan.”

“Was,” the lycan spat. “Bastard is dead.”

Raiden swallowed again. “Do you know anything about our mother?”

“No.” She slumped down to the ground again, back to Raiden now. She seemed defeated, lost. Raiden wondered why she had followed Liache at all, and she dropped down to sit as well, her back pressed to the lycan’s.

“So you believe that we’re related?”

“We look too similar not to be, Raiden,” the lycan snarled. “Just my luck, having a fucking mutt for a sister. What a family.”

Raiden tried her best to mask the hurt that pierced her chest, but failed. She gasped softly and grabbed at her chest, took in deep, even breaths. “Why did you do it?”

The lycan chuckled. “Join Liache? She was hot. She saved my life. I owed her, but she was crazy. Even I knew that. Everything she did, it was for her own benefit. I only followed because I admired her.”

“You don’t anymore?”

“That’s still up for debate. She became a mess since we stopped by your stupid city.”

“So, um… so could you maybe not go back to her?”

“Go back? I’m probably going to end up executed, mutt. I have no time to get all sentimental with you. I don’t even know you. Blood means nothing.”

“You have her hair, you know,” Raiden hurried. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes. “She had dark hair like yours, and your eyes. You must have gotten them from her. All I got was some features from her face.”

“You remember her?”

“Vaguely. She abandoned me when I was really small, so I…”

The lycan snorted. “At least you remember her face. I was left when I was much, much younger.”

Raiden felt more pain stab her chest. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“I wasn’t there for you.”

“How could you have been?”

“I don’t know. Maybe if I found you, you wouldn’t have gone down this path…”

Instead of snapping again, the lycan sighed. She turned around, and Raiden swallowed when a fist pressed to the middle of her upper back. “Maybe you’re right,” she said. “Or maybe I would have dragged you down with me.”

Raiden straightened in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing.” She dropped her fist and then moved to the far corner of the cage. “Just leave and forget about me. I’m heading to prison and death, anyway.”

Raiden turned around and grabbed at the bars. “I won’t let you! I can open this cage and we can escape together.”

Grey eyes flashed brightly for a moment, and then dulled. She moved suddenly this time, not as slowly and haggardly as before. Raiden saw an attack coming, but it never came. A hand merely landed on her head, and she took in a deep, shuddering breath.

“Don’t be a dumbass,” the lycan snarled. “Just forget about me and leave. I told you already.”

Raiden felt tears pour over her cheeks. “But you’re my family.”

“Blood means nothing.”

“It means something to me!”

The lycan paused. Raiden didn’t want to look up to meet her gaze, to see the expression on her face. She was too scared.

“Even after all I did?” the lycan asked. “What I let Liache and the others do?”

Raiden nodded. “I… I want to understand why you did it. Understand who you are.”

“Then you’ll need to start small,” the lycan offered harshly. Her hand dropped.

“Like where?” Raiden asked. She lifted her head and finally met the lycan’s cold eyes.

“Hi, Raiden,” the lycan started, sharp teeth glinting as she smirked. “I’m Alphard. It’s nice to meet you, mutt.”

Raiden’s heart filled with relief, and then more tears poured over her skin. “Hi,” she cried, rubbing at her face. “Thank you.”

Alphard rolled her eyes and then slinked off into the shade again. “Now go,” she said. “Don’t watch them carry this cage away.”

Raiden didn’t listen, and she watched anyway. Alphard watched her too, with an impassive face and a deep frown. But just before she was driven down the road, Raiden could have sworn that she saw a smile and a wink. Raiden blinked, and it was gone, but she could have sworn that it was there.

 _I will visit,_ Raiden promised silently. _If you end up locked away, I’ll visit every day and get to know you._

Secretly, Alphard hoped she would.

XxX

The speech took longer than intended, but breakfast was a short affair. Some of the human hunters had injuries that would take longer to heal, and the other cynans and lycans were all tired. For the hunters, this hunt had been going on for years. There was a definite sense of relief in the air, and even over the exhaustion there was a light din of conversation. Ymir and her group didn’t feel the need to stay longer. Once they were done eating, Nanaba signalled for everyone to follow and they left the breakfast tent and headed to the parking area. Dante found them along the way and walked them there.

“I really appreciate your help in this matter,” she said.

Ymir snorted. “Like we had a choice,” she said. “If we didn’t help who knows what would have happened.”

Dante smiled knowingly and nodded. “True. The situation also became out of hand because of you.”

Ymir lowered her head and caught Krista grinning at her. “Yeah,” the blonde said, “but I saved her freckled ass.”

Dante winked at the blonde. “You were exceptional, Krista. Just like I said you would be.”

“How did you do it?” Hanji asked in excitement. She had been holding off since they carried Liache off from that construction site. All cynans had run there to see if Ymir was alight, and they had seen the largest, blackest wolf they had ever seen. That it was Krista became immediately obvious, and Ymir’s ease had settled them too.

Maeve looked at Krista with slight reverence. Normally Raiden would have too, but her eyes were red and puffy and she had just returned from where the cages had been. Berik wrapped her up in a hug and let her wipe her tears off on his shirt. Berik, however, was still in his usually good mood. He wiggled his eyebrows at Krista and then laughed when Ymir glared at him.

“What? I’ve never been this close to one,” he explained. “And it’s Krista, of all people! Never would have guessed.”

“She always smelt so nice,” Maeve commented.

“It was a lycan scent all along,” Rico muttered before Hanji could shout it. She rolled her eyes when the brunette trembled with energy.

“So?” Hanji asked, hyperventilating.

“The existence of the Reiss bloodline disappeared from stories,” Krista started. Her eyes began to shine, and her voice took on an edge of authority. All cynans, and even Dante, felt themselves drawn and quieted. They couldn’t stop listening even if they had wanted to. “The first wolves were considered royal. Their bloodlines became sacred. There were not that many at first, but many wolves bore cynan children. At that time there were less pure blood lycans and more cynan children. That enforced the silly notion that lycan blood was royalty. Among one of those bloodlines was mine, the Reiss line. All of the royal lines have died out, though,” she paused and a smile lingered on her lips. “Well, I’m the last of my line, and my children will carry my blood, but they will not be pureblood.”

“Oh, lordy,” Hanji gasped. She clutched her hands together and swallowed. “And your ability? Is that part of your bloodline, too?”

“It is.” Krista nodded and leaned more firmly into Ymir’s body. “I have power of authority. Right now I could make you all bow for me,” she grinned naughtily and caught Ymir’s lifted brow. “But I won’t. It’s like power of persuasion. I don’t really understand it. We discovered it by accident, actually.” She looked to Dante who looked away, suddenly uncomfortable.

“My cousin is now officially cooler than me,” Petra groaned. She pretended to collapse in despair and Nanaba caught her, chuckling. They all laughed along.

“We should get going,” Nanaba told them. “Where is Adrian?”

“He will be out shortly,” Dante assured. She seemed to be fully enjoying the atmosphere, and looking at her, the cynans decided that lycans weren’t so bad, when they behaved.

Adrian appeared moments later, looking pale and stricken. He limped over and went to Nanaba first, clutching at her shoulder.

“What? What’s wrong?” Nanaba asked, panicked.

Adrian looked up at caught Dante’s eye, and the tall lycan’s eyes widened. She apparently immediately knew what had happened, and she was overtaken suddenly by anger. They all saw it in the way her jaw clenched, how her shoulders rose. She took in a deep, even breath to calm herself.

“We just got word,” Adrian gasped out. “After arriving at the hunter base, Liache and her pack escaped. The hunters are still searching for them, but their tracks are cold. It’s almost as if they vanished out of thin air.”

“And Alphard?” Raiden exclaimed. “Her too?”

Adrian shook his head. “No. Since she left after them, she could not escape with them. But she will undergo interrogation to see if she knew anything about their plan to escape. For now she is still set to go to trial. I doubt Liache values her so much to return and rescue her. They’re long gone, wherever they are.”

The cynans all shifted uncomfortable, worried. “Don’t worry,” Ymir announced suddenly. She felt Krista’s hand wind around hers, and smiled. “We have this powerful wolf on our side, and besides, we’ve kicked their asses before. If they come at us again, we’re ready.”

Ymir’s words reassured everyone, and the tension slowly eased. Krista smiled and shook her head. “Who’s ready to go home?” the blonde asked.

Everyone agreed that they were, and slowly began to pile into the cars that Dante had used to get them there. Ymir and Krista went in last, and Adrian lingered back with Dante.

“You need to give up, yeah?”

Dante’s eyes widened. “How did you…?”

“Your leader, he explained it to me. Dante, she is a lost cause. I know that more than anyone.”

Dante clutched at her shirt. “I can’t,” she said. Her eyes swam with hidden emotion. “I won’t ever give up on her.”

“Why?”

A small, sad smile formed on her lips. Dante looked sorrowful, and her shoulders dropped in defeat. “Because,” she said. “Love is an unbearable thing.”

Adrian sucked in a breath and understood. He nodded once, slowly, and then joined the others. Dante watched them, waved. They waved back, and Nanaba gave her a long look from the car window.

Love truly was a painful, torturous event.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well guys, this is almost it. Next chapter is the epilogue, then Bad Dog II is finished. I’ll wait until the next chapter to say my thanks, but I’ll say thanks now for reading the chapter ^^ don’t forget to comment! Hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	23. Epilogue

**14 months later:**

* * *

There were only whispers of Liache, but nothing to go on. She and her pack, minus Alphard—who was still being processed for hunter trial, even though much time had passed—had simply disappeared. Hunters remained on the lookout, but they were gone. There was no longer even the string of grisly murders Homura caused wherever they decided to settle. Ymir took that as a good sign. 

Now, fourteen months down the line, they had put everything behind them. Adjustment took time, especially for Krista, but it came. And her human friends, those involved with the hunters, remained in her life. They were much eager now and more involved, considering the fact that there were no more secrets. Maeve returned to her family, but promised to visit often. Mike, Ilse, and Rico returned to their cities, too, though Hanji took Rico leaving badly. They visited each other often, despite Rico arguing that she had no interest. Berik had a place of his own, so Raiden promptly moved in with him the moment she could. Nanaba and Petra were becoming unbearable with their mushiness, plus, Raiden felt like she was intruding. The redhead also often visited Alphard at the hunter base, and though it had been rocky at first, she felt as though she was making some progress.

Ymir and Krista had taken to running together. They had decided quite a few months back to form an official pack with Nanaba and Petra. Raiden and Berik were still pending, since both Nanaba and Ymir weren’t so sure about letting those two join. They probably would, eventually. However, the pack was growing steadily on its own, and Ymir thought about this as she and Krista burst through the bushes, paws pounding on the soil.

 _I beat you!_ Krista exclaimed. She dropped onto her back and slapped her tail on the ground when Ymir hovered above her with a growl.

 _Cheater,_ Ymir grumbled.

Krista snorted and leaned up to lick the underside of Ymir’s jaw. _Sore loser,_ she said. She crawled back onto her feet and then brushed the entire length of her body against Ymir’s, her tail thumping playfully against the brunette’s side. Suddenly her eyes clouded over, and she shifted in a bellow of steam. Ymir followed hurriedly, eyebrow lifted, pulse hammering. She expected it before it happened and grunted when Krista’s body pressed firmly against her own. The blonde’s hands melted into her hair and hungry lips suddenly took her mouth. She did not resist, of course, and chuckled deeply at the needy moan Krista pressed into her mouth.

“Krista,” Ymir managed around the kiss. She had her hands on Krista’s hips, her fingertips caressing small circles.

“I want you,” Krista breathed suddenly.

“No. We can go again when we get home.”

Suddenly Krista teared up, and with a huff she pushed Ymir hard enough to launch her across the yard. The brunette expected that too, of course, and she managed to land in a crouch and prevent herself from getting hurt. She ended up right by the back door, and turned when it opened and Nanaba stepped out with clothes for them.

“Really?” Nanaba asked. “Fighting naked in my back yard?”

Krista angrily wiped at her tears and folded her arms across her chest. Ymir sighed and stood. She shook her head to get a few strands of hair out of her eyes, and then used a hand to slick her hair back. “Sorry,” she said. “Krista’s just been… well…” She accepted the clothes and quickly pulled them on. Krista came over and did the same, though she still looked mightily upset and refused to look at either Nanaba or Ymir.

“You know,” Nanaba commented. “I could swear that Krista has been moodier lately.”

“Tell me about it!” Ymir exclaimed. She threw her hands up in exasperation, but quickly dropped them when Krista’s blue eyes flicked to her and a deep, angry glare rested there. “I mean, it’s not her fault.”

“Don’t be such an asshole!” Krista exclaimed. She turned her back on them, and then she sniffled and released a sigh. “I feel horrible. Why do I feel so horrible?” She turned suddenly and collapsed against Ymir’s chest. “Ymir, I’m sorry.”

Nanaba watched with a knowing smile. She waited while Ymir had comforted Krista, and then when the couple had calmed and their apparent fight was over, she tapped Ymir on the shoulder to get both of their attention. “How far along are you?” she asked Krista.

Krista’s eyes widened.

“How far along is who?” Petra asked, stepping out of the back door in summery clothes and a small bundle in her arms. Nanaba’s face brightened and she immediately reached out to take it.

“What do you say, little one?” she cooed softly. A tiny blonde baby cooed right back, small hands wiggling about in the air. Her blue eyes shimmered with apparent intelligence, but she had no answer for her father, just like Krista and Ymir had none either.

Petra clicked. “Oh my god, Krista are you pregnant?”

Krista chewed thoughtfully on her lip, and then she nodded and glanced up at Ymir. “I am,” she said. “Ten weeks.”

“When were you going to tell us?”

Ymir went over to Nanaba and snatched the baby out of her arms. The tall blonde yelled in disbelief and then dissolved into goo when Ymir lifted the child and she giggled happily. “Look at her,” Ymir said. “She’s such a bundle of life. I want three of them.”

“Ymir,” Krista cautioned. “Only two, remember?”

“Hey, give my daughter back!” Nanaba gently retrieved her blonde baby from Ymir’s greedy hands, and then rocked her gently to keep her smiling.

Ymir went over to Krista and wrapped her up in a hug. “Yeah, yeah,” she said. “Two is enough. Can’t wait until we have one of those adorable wiggling things of our own.”

“It’s a baby,” Krista deadpanned. “They’re called babies.”

Ymir laughed and pushed away from Krista, grinning. “Seriously? I thought they were jellybeans.”

Krista immediately flared up in irritation. “Ymir, stop being so stupid!”

“Ymir, this is why Krista wants to kill you when she isn’t trying to sexually consume your soul,” Petra chastised. She also turned to Nanaba and gestured for her daughter back. “She needs her nap, so I’m heading back inside. Control your pack, love.” She gave the blonde a kiss and then disappeared back inside. Nanaba watched her go, sighing.

Nanaba then turned to scold her friends, but stepped back when Krista suddenly shifted and Ymir bolted into the trees, on all four legs as well. She howled in amusement, and Nanaba simply shook her head.

Krista’s large black form caught up with Ymir quickly, and she easily tackled Ymir to the ground. They shifted and then landed in a tangled heap together, chests heaving. Krista’s mood swing passed, and she giggled lightly as she crawled on top of Ymir and then pressed a kiss to her jaw.

“Being a pregnant lycan is way worse than I thought it would be.”

Ymir suddenly grew serious, and her lips pulled down in a frown. “I’m sorry. I make it harder for you, don’t I?”

Krista bumped their noses. “You do, but I still love you. This baby will love you, too.”

“And I’ll love them, too,” Ymir responded. She flashed a dazzling smile and then captured Krista’s lips with her own.

“We should head back and take a shower. Adrian wants to come over for dinner, remember?”

Ymir reluctantly let Krista go, but she quickly took hold of her hand to compensate. “Do we have enough food? Would you like me to drive down to the shops and get some more? How are you feeling, by the way? Sore anywhere? How’s your nose?”

Krista giggled at her mate’s worry and kissed her on the lips to silence her. “I’m fine,” she assured. She easily pulled Ymir to her feet, winked and smiled. She inhaled, and in her mind she could already picture it—their future, with a small, brown haired baby following Ymir’s example, wishing to be just like their daddy. “In fact.” Krista gave Ymir a long look and considered everything they had been through. Impossible things had happened to her, but out of everything she had found the most precious thing in the world.

“In fact?” Ymir lifted a brow in waiting and took Krista’s hand again. She gave it a light squeeze.

Krista smiled. “I’m perfect.” She was. And soon, she knew, the both of them would be beyond even that, and one thing would make it so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow, it’s over guys. Bad Dog II is now officially over! I’m relieved and sad at the same time. For one, I am closer to starting a new, even bigger project that I’m really eager about. But I’m going to miss this particular AU. I hope that you guys enjoyed the story ^^ it was a bumpy ride, with a few plot holes here and there. It’s imperfect, but what matters is that I enjoyed writing it and you enjoyed reading it. Thank you to each and every person that supported and followed this story. You have my deepest appreciation and love. Thank you, really. Fret not! This may be the last of Bad Dog II, but it will not be the last of me. Keep an eye out. I’ve got something interesting in the works. Don’t forget to comment, and thanks for reading ^^


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